Fifty Shades Forgotten
by JessesGirlFinally
Summary: Remember when Ana went after Mia with the five million dollars? I was thinking about that, and wondered what would happen if Jack actually got the best of her that day, and he kidnapped her and took her off somewhere. And she has amnesia.
1. Chapter 1

50 Shades Forgotten.

Remember when Ana went after Mia with the five million dollars? I was thinking about that, and wondered what would happen if Jack actually got the best of her that day, and he kidnapped her and took her off somewhere. And, she has amnesia because of that horrible bump on the head. She doesn't remember her life with Christian whatsoever. In fact, she thinks she's Jack's wife now. This is what happens when I let my imagination run wild. I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know what you think.

* * *

Christian's POV.

She's actually leaving me. How the hell could she leave? How could she not? I've shown my true colors over the last few days. I got drunk and ran to Elena, the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. After the appalling way I've behaved toward her, I'm surprised she's stayed this long. How could I have been so cruel to her? Fuck! I have to stop this.

We have just landed in Portland. "Taylor! Tell the pilots to head back to Seattle right now." I yell to Taylor. He's sitting not ten feet away from me.

"Sir." Taylor jumps up and does as I ask. He always does, without question and without hesitation.

I can't believe it. It's such a heavy load. I vividly remember the last time Ana left me. If sadness was capable of killing a person, I would be dead. It hurt like hell. I had to stop this. I had to stop her. Taylor taps me on the arm as I stare out the window.

"Sir, it's your father." Taylor hands me my cell phone.

"I'm busy." I tell him, dismissing him. I don't feel like talking to my father at the moment.

"It's important, sir. It's about Jack."

Jack? What the fuck? I answer the cell immediately. "Dad? What's this about Jack?"

"He's made bail. I'm not sure how yet, but he's out, son. I wanted to warn you."

"Cash." I say quietly. I remember Troy Whelan said it would take him a while to get the money in cash for Ana. Why would she need cash? Five million dollars in cash! A cashier's check would have been way easier to carry.

"What, son?" my dad yells through the cell phone.

"He's got her, or he's blackmailing her." I say quickly. "Taylor get on the phone to the security team and find out where everyone is. Dad, find Mom, Elliott and Mia. Make sure they're OK. I've got a bad feeling."

"I'll call you right back." He says then hangs up.

I call my wife's phone. She doesn't answer. She's turned it off obviously. "Track my wife's cell phone. Let's find her and bring her back." I yell to Taylor.

"Got it." He says then makes another phone call.

I'm worried sick about my wife now. But I'm overjoyed to realize that she's not leaving me. My cell rings again. It's my dad. I answer it.

"Dad?"

"Son, we can't find Mia. Her phone keeps going to voicemail. That's not like her. And, someone said they saw her leave with a woman at the gym. Grace said she drove her car. We think something's happened."

"Oh damn." I curse out loud. "We're on it, Dad. Call me if you hear anything at all. I'll keep you posted."

"The bastard has her. Doesn't he?" Dad asks.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out." I assure him, then hang up.

The flight to Seattle is unusually long. I jump out of the jet with Taylor on my heels before it even lands. There is a car waiting for us on the runway. Taylor drives like the seasoned pro that he is and gets us to South Irving Street. It's the last place he had a position on Ana's phone. Taylor slams on the brakes in front of an awful deserted playground. He gets out immediately. I follow him.

We look around everywhere and see nothing. Taylor looks at the ground. He runs for something on the ground. I look where he's headed. Holy shit! It's Ana's Blackberry. He thumbs through it. "An unknown call from an unknown number. It'll take us a while to find out who it was. It was probably a disposable phone."

I look around further. I see blood on the ground. Oh no! Ana's been hurt, or worse. My world is crushed. Taylor runs toward some dilapidated old squatter houses. He's not giving up. I decide that I won't either. In one of the houses, we find Mia. She's unconscious, bound and gagged. She's alive. I'm so grateful that I want to hit my knees and thank God. Taylor carries her to the car. I follow him.

"Do you want to stay and look around?" Taylor asks me. "I've got more security on the way. You should search all of the houses. I need to get Mia to the emergency room."

I nod my head. I have a sinking feeling that it's too late. My Ana is gone. She's given her life for my sister's life, for me, because she loved me so much. My heart aches.

I and my security team look for hours through every shack on the three acres of housing. Nothing. I can find no sign of Ana.

Ana's POV.

I'm in a hospital. I'm sleepy as hell, and my head hurts. I have to pee so badly that I feel like I'm about to bust. I'm alone in the room. What the hell happened? A nurse comes into my room. I'm glad to see her. She's a younger lady, in her thirties, and she's dressed impeccably.

"I have to pee." I inform her.

"You have a catheter in." she explains.

"No way." I tell her. "Take it out and let me go to the bathroom like an adult."

"As you wish, Mrs. Hyde." She says to me, then lifts my gown to get to work.

"Mrs. Hyde?" I ask her. The name sounds vaguely familiar to me. I'm married. What the hell happened to me? Why don't I remember getting married? Or who I married? Was I drunk? Why am I in the hospital?

"All finished. Can I help you to the bathroom? You're probably going to be a little wobbly. You've been unconscious for four days. We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

"Thanks." I say to her, then hold out my hand for her to take.

She leads me to the bathroom, as I lean on my IV stand. It feels so good to pee. I really needed to go. I stand up. I am kind of wobbly.

"Do you feel better?" she asks me.

"I do. Thanks. Where is my husband?" I ask her. Surely he wouldn't have just left me here.

"He had some calls to make. He's extremely busy. We'll let him know that you're awake now. I'm sure he's going to be anxious to see you."

I smile. Well, at least he cares for me. "What happened to me?" I ask the nurse.

"You were attacked by your kidnapper. You hit your head." She explains.

"Kidnapper?"

"Yes, your husband was being extorted for money. It happens quite often here in Juarrez."

"Mexico?" I ask her.

"Yes, it's where you and your husband have lived for the past three years."

"Holy shit!" I say to the nurse as she helps me back into my bed. I take a nap, hoping I'll wake up with more memories intact.

When I wake up, the nurse is still standing over me. "Did I sleep long?" I ask her.

"A few hours. How are you feeling?"

"Still sore. Where's my husband?" I ask her as I look down at my left hand. I have a huge rock on it. My husband must love me very much.

"He was here, then he had to leave again. He'll be back."

"So, what's he like?" I ask her.

"Your husband?" she asks me, then pats me on the hand. "We were afraid of that."

"Of what?" I ask her.

"Amnesia. It's fairly common with a bump on the head."

"Is that why I can't remember anything? Being kidnapped? Being married?"

"That's why. Your memory will come back in time."

"How long?"

"No one knows for sure. It could be days, weeks, months, years."

"I hate that I can't remember my husband. He's obviously very much in love with me." I gaze at my left hand again.

"He's a very nice guy. Good looking too, if I may be so bold."

I smile. "I wish I could remember."

About that time, a guy walks in the door to my room. I look at him. Is this my husband? He has dark hair and dazzling blue eyes. There's something oddly familiar about his eyes. He's looking at me with hope in his eyes. I say nothing to him.

"Annie?" he finally asks as if he's unsure of himself.

I smile weakly at him. I was hoping for some spark of recognition. Nothing! I don't know him from Adam. Holy shit. What am I going to do?

Christian's POV.

Holy shit! What am I going to do? I'm worried sick about Ana. It's been four days since I've seen her. I don't know if she's dead or alive. I have no clue where she's at. Taylor works relentlessly managing the security team, trying to find her. There's no telling where that bastard has taken her. Or where he's taken her to kill her. Or how's he's going to kill her, if he hasn't already. He could go anywhere with five million dollars in cash. My heart is torn with pain, as I think of everything he could be doing to her. And, my unborn child is in so much danger.

Taylor walks into the living room. Mrs. Jones is preparing dinner. I'm so upset that I've barely eaten anything in the last four days. I look hopelessly at Taylor. He has no news, or he would have been running in the living room. He knows how much Ana means to me. She's the only woman I've ever loved.

My cell phone rings. It's Elena. I don't answer. Our last meeting was less than perfect. I'm sure she's going to offer her condolences. I don't want to hear them. The only thing I want to hear is Ana's voice in this apartment. I've berated myself many times for the way we left things between us. I'm sure she knows that I love her, but I wish I would have said it to her. If I would have known it was our last time to speak, I never would have left things that way between us.

I hear the door open. I hear Taylor speaking to my mother about things.

"He's holding up, but he's motionless basically." Taylor tells her.

"That's not good for him." My mother says. "We should get him out of here so he can get some fresh air. My mother walks into the living room.

I'm sitting on the couch, doing nothing basically. If there had been any clues whatsoever, I would have been scouring the planet to find her. I had two security teams, the best money could buy, looking for her. Not a word yet. Not a fucking word.

"Hello, mother." I say to her and stand up to hug her.

"Oh son, let's get you outside for a minute. Let me take you for a drive." She pulls me toward the door. She's so determined that I decide to just go with it.

"Call me if you hear anything at all, Taylor."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says.

I follow my mother to the parking deck and get in her white Cadillac Escalade with her. She drives at a slow and steady pace. I don't say a word. It's the first time I've been out in two days. The air looks different for some reason. Is this what it's going to be like without Ana? Nothing will have any light whatsoever.

"Your dad sent me over." Mom says, looking at me quickly then returning her eyes to the road.

"Is he worried about me too?"

"He is, but he wanted me to warn you about something."

"What?" I ask. I'm not sure if I want to know, but it seems the most appropriate thing to ask at the moment.

"The police are checking out the possibility that you've had Ana taken care of."

"What!" I exclaim. "You've got to be kidding me. It's so obvious what happened to her. Jack took her. He kidnapped Mia and drugged her. They know that. Why are they questioning it now?"

"They think it may have been some elaborate scheme to cover up a murder for hire."

"That's so full of shit." I say. "Sorry Mom. How's Mia doing?"

"She's good, finally back to her usual impossible self. We don't blame you for what happened, son."

"Thanks, Mom."

"How are you doing? Other than the obvious complete suspension from civilization."

"As well as I can, Mom. I'm so worried about her. I'm wondering if he's taking care of her, and if he knows she's pregnant, and if the baby is safe. If she's still alive that is."

"Baby? Christian, you didn't tell us she was pregnant."

Damn, I'd forgotten that I hadn't shared that news yet. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. "She was pregnant. Barely. We were fighting about it. The last few days that I had any contact with her, I had to be cruel to her."

"Why were you fighting about it?"

"I didn't want a baby, Mom. Not this soon. I wanted to be alone with her for a few years, then she gets pregnant."

"Well, she didn't do it on purpose. Did she?" Mom asks me. "You two were married. She had no reason."

I chuckle. It didn't sound much like a laugh. I'm so distraught, so torn up inside. "She said she didn't do it on purpose. She forgot an appointment, or the birth control didn't work. We're not sure which."

"Well, this would have been joyous news, Christian. I'm so sorry for everything that has happened." Mom turns toward the apartment, and drove into the parking garage. She parked in the slot next to Ana's car. I look at it, wishing Ana was in it. I'd do anything to get her back.

We walk back into the apartment. Taylor is on the phone with someone, talking quickly. I can barely hear him until we get closer.

"Thanks a lot." He says appreciatively, then hangs up. He looks over at me. "We've got a lead. It's not much of a lead, but…"

"A lead? What? How? Where?" I ask anxiously.

Mom grabs me around the waist, as if to hold me to the floor. "Tell us more, Taylor."

"The day she was kidnapped, someone bought a plane just outside of Seattle."

"That happens every day." I say to him.

"I told you it wasn't much of a lead, but it's all we've got right now, sir. The guy who bought the plane fits Jack's description, and he had a brunette with him, and he paid cash. We're going to talk to the guy now."

"I'll have to talk to you later, Mom." I say to Mom as I pass her up on my way out the front door.

"Be careful, Christian." She calls to me.

"Yes, I sold the guy my Zodiac. It's not a crime." The guy told us. He was wearing coveralls, and stood in the middle of his garage. He had various types of planes in varying degrees of assembly. Some were in a million pieces and some were being painted. He either built them or worked on them. He obviously had something to hide. He is being very defensive.

"We're not worried about the plane. We want to know about the guy who bought it, and the woman he had with him." I explain to him quickly. "We'll pay you for any information you give us."

The guy looks off toward the big open garage doors. He's holding out. For money maybe? He'd better watch it, or I'll tear his head off with my bare hands, then I'll let Taylor go on him.

I pull out several hundred dollar bills from my pocket. "Will this help?" I ask him with an attitude. Maybe bribery will be quicker than beating the shit out of him.

"Did you catch his name?" Taylor asks brusquely.

"He didn't give it." The guy says quickly.

"What did he look like?" I ask quickly, then I think of something. I pull out my cell phone and call my network guy. "Barney, do you have any pictures of Hyde that you can send me now?"

"I'll send one right now." He says, then hangs up. Barney is a yes man, just the kind of guy I like to have under me.

I get the message with Hyde's picture. I show it to the guy immediately. "Does he look familiar to you?"

"Yes, that's him." He says.

Oh, he doesn't know what he's done for me. I feel as though the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders. "And he had a brunette with him?"

"Yes, he did. She was asleep in the truck though. He had to carry her to plane."

"Did she look like this?" I ask, as I hold up a photograph of Ana to him.

"I didn't get a good look at her. They were too far away."

"Could you make a guess as to whether she was alive or not?" I ask him impatiently.

"If I had to guess, I'd say yes. He was treating her very delicately, like he was afraid he was going to drop her."

"They left from here? He piloted the plane?" Taylor asks.

The guy nods.

"Did he say where they were going?" I ask.

"He didn't say, but they headed that way after he took off." The guy points south.

"He didn't file a flight plan with anyone?" I ask.

"No he didn't. That's why people buy planes from me."

"And, he paid cash?" Taylor asks.

"Cash. Even left me a tip."

"Did you catch the plate of the person who brought him?" Taylor asks.

The guy shakes his head.

"Do you have video surveillance?" Taylor persists.

The guy shakes his head again. "It was a black SUV. That's about all I can tell you."

Damn. That's not much to go on. I feel like I've been sent back to square one. But at least I have hope that she's alive, for now. He probably drugged her like he drugged Mia. It took days for the drugs to get out of Mia's system. I was seriously worried about his plans for her now. If he wanted more money, he would have called by now.

"We'll keep looking." Taylor assures me as we drive back to the apartment.

"It doesn't seem like much to go on."

"It's not, but it's more than we had two hours ago. We'll find her." Taylor says.

I hadn't realized that Taylor was such an optimist until now. He's helped me through so much these last several days. I was glad to have him by my side. Now that I'm pretty sure that Ana is alive, I'm going to do everything within my power to find her.

* * *

There will be more, I promise. Stay tuned for Ana (Annie) and Christian's first meeting. It's going to completely turn the tables on him. Christian can't tell her who he really is, so he has to win her over all over again. Can he convince her that she loves him still?

Please review and let me know what you think.

I also write as Autumn Brown on Siren, and on Amazon if you're interesting in my published books.

My new website is at AutumnBrownBooks


	2. Chapter 2

50 Shades Forgotten.

Remember when Ana went after Mia with the five million dollars? I was thinking about that, and wondered what would happen if Jack actually got the best of her that day, and he kidnapped her and took her off somewhere. And, she has amnesia because of that horrible bump on the head. She doesn't remember her life with Christian whatsoever. In fact, she thinks she's Jack's wife now. This is what happens when I let my imagination run wild.

Annie's POV.

"Annie? Is that my name?" I ask him. For some reason, I just have to be polite. He seems so hopeful, like I may crush his spirit with a harsh word. I notice that he's limping slightly. I wonder what's happened to him, but I don't want to be rude and ask.

"It is. Hi, honey." He says then steps over to me. He kisses me on the lips gently as if I might break if he presses too hard.

I let him kiss me, hoping it will spark some sliver of recognition. It doesn't. He pulls away and I smile at him again. He gives me a smile and rubs my arm affectionately.

"What happened to your leg, or your foot?" I ask him. Curiosity got the better of me.

"I was shot by your kidnapper, trying to rescue you." He says point blank.

Damn, that's hot. He must really love me to put his life on the line like that. I don't feel love for this guy, but I like him already. "Thanks for rescuing me."

He smiles at me. "How's the head?"

"It still hurts. I wish I could remember how it happened. I wish I could remember anything." I say, totally frustrated.

"It'll come back to you, when I get you home and we start living our life day to day."

OK, that makes sense. That's they way it works in the movies. Funny how I can remember movies that I've seen, but I can't remember my husband, or my name. I'll do the best that I can. Jack seems like a nice enough guy, I'll just go home with him and hope something sparks a memory there.

"The doctor says you can home today." Jack says with encouragement.

"Really?" I ask the nurse.

"Absolutely. We've kept you long enough." The nurse says to me. She's in a good mood.

OK, that's great news, but it's also scary news. I was more than a little apprehensive about going home. What if I didn't remember anything? Would I have to live the rest of my life not knowing who I am?

Jack pushes my wheelchair out of the hospital himself. When we arrive outside, there's a car waiting on us, and a driver. He has the door open, waiting for us. Somehow, this feels familiar. With Jack's help, I step out of the wheelchair and into the backseat of the car. "Thank you." I say to the nice looking driver.

"Yes, ma'am." He says quickly.

Jack comes around to the other side. I should be the one that's walking around to the other side of the car. I'm the one with the use of both of my legs. Jack steps in, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile at him.

"Ready to go home?" he asks. He's excited.

I hate to burst his bubble so I smile at him. We don't talk much on the thirty minute drive home. Jack points out a few things on the way. I don't recognize any of them. I'm getting frustrated again. Then we pull up to an iron gate of a huge estate. I look out as our driver enters the security code. We drive in. This is our house? Holy shit! It's huge and so nice. I must have married very well.

We pull into the garage and the driver once again opens my door for me. Jack is waiting to help me out. He leads me into the house through the garage after entering some security codes in the alarm system. I notice the numbers that he punches.

"Ten ten?" I ask him.

"Your birthday." He answers quickly.

Oh, that's interesting. Maybe I do live here after all. I walk with Jack into the kitchen. It's huge and modern and spacious and has really nice appliances in it. The granite counter tops are amazing. There is state of the art cookware hanging neatly in the middle. "It's very nice." I say. I wish I could remember it. I wish I could remember any little thing.

"I'll show you the rest of the house if you're up for it." Jack says, then waits on my answer.

I nod, smiling. I know he wants to show it to me. He's anxious to show it off. Poor guy, I'm sure he's done this once before. He shows me the dining room, with a huge dining room table.

"We don't have children. Do we?" I ask him. A table this big has to seat someone besides just the two of us.

"Not yet. We're hoping to remedy that in the future though." Jack says with a wicked smile. Somehow that smile almost sparks something for me, but then it dies. "Are you OK? We can take a break."

I shake my head. "I'm fine. Let's keep going." I follow him throughout the house as he shows me everything with pride. It's cute the way he's anxious to show me. He can't walk as fast as he wants to show me everything.

For some reason, I'm really tired. "Can I take a nap now?" I ask Jack.

"Sure. I'll show you to our room."

Our room? Oh no. I'm not sure I'm ready to sleep with my husband. I'm sure that I've slept with him several times over the last three years, but since I barely know the guy, it feels funny to be sleeping with him. "Can I sleep in the guest room? Just until I regain some of my memory."

He chuckles at me. "You're shy now? Hell, you slept with me on the first date, Annie."

"The first date?" Holy shit! I'm a slut.

Jack nods, giving me a smirk.

"Well, I want to sleep alone for a while. I hope you don't mind." I'm standing my ground. I will not be having sex with my husband for awhile anyway.

"I'll show you to one of the guest rooms. I'll have Fran move all of your things in there."

"Thanks, Jack." I tell him.

The guest room is very nice. I slip under the covers with all my clothes on. I don't want to undress in front of him. Jack kisses me on the forehead. I'm out like a light.

My dreams haunt me. They're nightmares. I see a man without a face beating me with some kind of a whip. I'm shackled to the wall spread eagle, scared to death, clad in a leather bikini. I'm being forced to look down, not allowed to look in his face. He yells at me. "Don't come." Yah, right, as if that would happen. What a weird dream! I wake up sweating. I'm totally confused. Was this the guy who kidnapped me? What the hell was he doing to me?

Christian's POV.

I'm racking my brain trying to think of something to do. It's been two weeks since Ana has disappeared. There's been no ransom notes or phone calls. I've barely slept. I hate sleeping without Ana. My old nightmares are now replaced with new nightmares. Instead of dreaming about my awful childhood, I dream about Ana's present and her future. I wish I could find her.

I'm at my office at the apartment, trying to get some work done. I haven't stepped foot inside the office downtown. I can't bring myself to leave the apartment for fear that Taylor will by some miracle find something that will lead us to her.

The bank calls. It's Troy Whelan, asking me to move some money around in my accounts so I can cover the five million dollars cash that Ana withdrew.

"Has there been any word?" he asks me through the phone.

"None at all. We're working night and day searching for her, but everything we find turns out to be another dead end."

"I wish I would have followed my instincts and called the police. She seemed so sure of herself though."

"She was sure she wanted to help Mia. She had no regard for her own life." The thought still angers me. She had our baby inside her. She should have been thinking about Blip. Instead she was thinking about Mia. Not that I'm not happy that she rescued Mia, I am. I just wish that she'd made it out as well.

"Any word on the woman who drove the SUV? Have you found her yet?"

"None. We still don't know who she is. Have you thought of anything else that you haven't told us yet."

"No, just a black SUV. Tinted windows. A tall woman driving it. She seemed eager to get on with the exchange. It did have Washington plates. Did I tell you that?"

"No, but we assumed that. It didn't help. I wish we had video outside of your back door."

"We're getting that installed next week."

Well that does me no good whatsoever, I think but I don't say it out loud. Troy has been very cooperative while my security team drilled him about every detail of his time with Ana that day. "Thanks, Troy. If you think of anything, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Of course, Mr. Grey."

I buzz Taylor. He walks into my office immediately. "Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"That black SUV? Are you following any leads on that?" I ask him.

"Yes, we are. But it's like finding a needle in a haystack and it's a long shot. My security team is pouring through the DMV records of every owner in Seattle, and the surrounding areas."

"I should have known you'd be on it. Thanks, Taylor."

"Yes, sir. I'll let you know the second we have anything to follow."

Just then, Taylor's phone vibrates. He answers it immediately. "Bring it up." he says then ends the call. "It looks like I spoke too soon. We have another lead. Elizabeth Morgan has a black SUV."

"At SIP?" I ask him.

He nods. Sawyer walks in holding some papers. "So far that's the only connection we can find. We're still looking."

I jump up to look at the papers. It's a simple listing of automobiles and owners. The security team has had to go through each name manually to see if anyone recognized any names on it. I guess that I should have been helping them. I spot Elizabeth's name right away. "We need to make a trip to SIP." I tell Taylor.

"We've checked that already. She's no longer employed there. She quit the day Ana was kidnapped. We're searching for a home address, and any friends or relatives. We'll let you know when we find something."

Taylor turns and walks out. I know he's deep into this. He blames himself for losing Ana. It surprised me that Ana outmaneuvered Sawyer though. I wanted to fire Sawyer, but Taylor talked me out of it. He said Sawyer would be an asset in searching for Ana and even more dedicated now.

Thirty minutes later, Taylor and I are headed to Elizabeth's mother's house. Our security has tracked her down and told us that she's there at the moment. Taylor drives as fast as he can. We pull up to an older house, and to my delight, it has a black SUV sitting in front of it.

"I wonder why she left SIP, and why she's at her mother's?" I ask Taylor.

"We're about to find out." Taylor answers me. "I'm going to go around back and make sure she doesn't try to leave that way. You talk to her up front. Call me if she comes to the door and I'll meet you back here."

"Got it." I say to him. I step out of the back of the car and head straight for the front door. I knock, and an old lady answers. She's holding a young girl on her hip. "Elizabeth?" I ask her.

"No, Elizabeth is my daughter." She says sweetly. "And, this is Meagan, Elizabeth's daughter."

She's a proud grandmother and she seems to be nice.

"She's cute." I say. "Is Elizabeth around? We could use her help."

"Sure." She says to me, then turns around and yells. "Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth comes to the door next to her mother. She's a younger version of her mother. She takes the little girl from her mother, as her mother returns to the living room. "Can I help you?" she asks.

"I hope so." I say, then dial Taylor on my cell phone. "She's here."

Elizabeth gives me a funny look. She's suspicious. "What's going on?"

"My name is Christian Grey. I'm looking for my wife, Ana."

Her face loses all expression, as she hugs her daughter closer to her chest. Taylor walks up just in time to hear my last question.

"Do you know where she is?" Taylor asks her.

"I…" she starts but then stops.

"Tell us what you know." I suggest firmly. I know this was our only shot, and I don't want to blow it. I have to control my temper. My instincts tell me that she knows exactly where Ana was, and what has happened to her.

"I don't know anything."

"You helped Jack kidnap Mia, then you helped him take Ana somewhere. Tell us where right now." I tell her with the same authority that I maintain with my employees.

"No, I didn't."

"Ma'am, we've got you on security footage at the bank." Taylor says. I knew he was bluffing, but Elizabeth wouldn't know that.

"We'll take it to the police unless you tell us where she is. You'll be an accessory to robbery and kidnapping, and I really hope we won't be adding murder to that list."

"She's not dead. I did help with the kidnapping of your little sister, and I picked up Ana from the bank."

"Where is she?" Taylor asks in a firmer voice.

"I don't know. That's the truth. I'm sorry. I wish I could help you."

"Have you had any further contact with him?" Taylor asks. He's in interrogation mode now.

She shakes her head.

"Why would you help him? You were Ana's boss." I ask her.

"Jack threatened me with video tape of the two of us. That didn't work, so he threatened my daughter. He said he'd kill her if I didn't help him. He said he wasn't going to hurt Ana, but he did hurt her."

"He hurt her?" I ask, anxiously. I was about to lose it and show this girl a thing or two.

"He hit her. She fell down and hit her head. It knocked her out. Then he got the idea to take her away with the five million dollars. He wanted everything you had, including your wife. He's obsessed with you for some reason. He kept telling me that if things had been different, it would have been him with the perfect life and the perfect wife."

"So he's taken her to be his wife?" I ask. I'm so sickened by the thought of him touching my Ana.

"Was she bleeding?" I ask, suddenly remembering the blood.

"No, not that I saw. The only blood was from Jack, where Ana shot him in the leg."

My heart fills with pride. Taylor smiles a little at that one. I'm relieved that Ana wasn't bleeding.

"No clue where he's taken her?" I ask her again. "Did he mention anything about anywhere?"

She shakes her head. "Please don't press charges against me, Mr. Grey. I don't have a husband. My daughter will have only her grandmother, and she's getting on in years. I'll have to send her to an orphanage if I have to go to prison. I was forced into this."

"If I find Ana alive and well, I won't press charges. If I don't find her soon, I don't…" I stop. I didn't even want to tell her what I wanted to do with her.

"Thank you. I'm sure if you had a daughter, you'd understand."

"Ana is pregnant. I do understand."

Taylor gives me surprised look. I hadn't shared the news with him. I hadn't shared it with anyone yet, except my mother a few days ago. Taylor pulls out a card and hands it to her. "If you think of anything that can help us, call us. Any time of the day or night."

"I will." She says, then starts to walk in. "Wait. One thing that struck me as odd, he had his passport with him. And he had some Mexican money, lots of it. Big bills and small bills."

Mexico. Damn. He was taking her to Mexico. "Maybe that will help."

"Thanks." Taylor tells her as we leave.

Annie's POV.

Hmm. How could I have forgotten this life? This is so nice. I'm like a queen in a castle. I have the nicest clothes and the nicest shoes. I could spend hours in my closet and not run out of clothes to try on. Our housekeeper, Fran, is the sweetest girl. Our driver, Arturo, is so sweet as well. Fran and Arturo are a package deal. They're married and live on the property together behind our house in a cottage. They seem very happy. Fran has told me how happy I've been here with Jack for the last three years. Over the last week since I've come home, we've become good friends. She tells me that we were the best of friends before I was kidnapped. I can easily see that.

"So, how about some shopping today, Annie?" Fran asks me as she cleans up the breakfast dishes.

"For what?" I ask her. "I have everything I need right here."

"How about some new shoes and a new handbag? There's a new shop in town. We used to go shopping all the time. Maybe you'll see something you recognize. It might bring back some memories."

"OK. Let me go tell Jack." I walk to Jack's office. He's behind his computer desk, typing away. He looks so cute when he's deep in concentration.

"Hi husband." I say to him. I'm trying to make it feel right. Somehow it still doesn't though. I can't quite explain it.

"Hello wife." He says to me as he stands up. He kisses me on the cheek. I think he knows that I'm not comfortable with the whole lip kissing thing yet. He's agreed to give me some more time.

"Fran and I are going to go shopping." I tell him.

"Shopping?" he asks in surprise. "With Fran?"

He acts like this is totally out of character for me. "Yes, like we always do." I explain to him.

"Of course." He says then waves his hand. "You just haven't been since you've been kidnapped. Take security with you and don't talk to strange looking men."

I laugh at him. "If I remembered anything at all, maybe I could tell which men were strange and which men were normal."

"Olaf will take care of you." Jack assures me.

Olaf is our main security guy. He's not as friendly as Arturo or Fran. He takes his job very seriously. I don't think the big mass of muscle knows how to smile.

"I'm sure he will." I resign myself to the fact that Fran and I will have security. I walk back to the kitchen where I find Fran ready to go shopping.

Arturo drives us. We have a blast as we shop and go for coffees. I don't care for coffee too much, but no one seems to have tea here. Fran grabs a muffin from the counter. She peels back the paper, preparing to eat it. I have a funny flash, a memory maybe. Someone else in my past has done that. Gee, that shouldn't be a surprise. I'm sure I've seen many people peel muffin paper off before. I shake my head, trying to shake off the memory. Why do I remember stupid things? For once, I'd like to remember something useful.

"Now, onto the shoes." Fran says. She's determined that we're going to buy shoes today. She's a lot of fun to be around. She's always up, and never depressed. I really need someone like her in my life right now. I'm so glad that we've been friends so long.

I follow Fran down the sidewalk to a very nice shoe store. While in there, we run into a friend of hers. She's shoe shopping as well. "Hello, Fran." She squeals out excitedly.

"Hello, Maria." Fran says to her, and releases her.

I stand there, hoping that maybe I knew Maria as well. "I'm Annie." I hold out my hand to shake hers.

"Annie who?" she asks me.

"This is my boss, Annie Hyde." Fran tells her. "You've met her before."

Maria gives Fran a stubborn look, then she suddenly says, "Oh yes, I remember Annie. She's your new boss."

"New?" I ask her.

"No, I've been with her for three years now." Fran says quickly.

"I meant, she was new when I saw you last. It's been a while, Fran. Time flies." Maria says to her.

I smile at her. "It's OK. I wouldn't have remembered you anyway. I have amnesia. Can't even remember my own husband."

"Wow!" Maria says, dumbfounded.

"I'm hoping to regain my memory soon."

Fran and I continue our shoe shopping. Fran finds two pairs that she likes and she puts them on the counter. She stands there, like she's expecting something. I look at her, wondering what she wants.

"You usually pay for my shoes. You call it a bonus." She smiles at me.

"You're not taking advantage of my memory loss. Are you, Fran?"

She shakes her head. "No, but now that you've given me the idea, maybe I can use that to my advantage. I think you promised me a raise. A substantial one, I if I remember right." She jokes with me.

I pull some pesos out of my purse and pay for the shoes. They hardly cost anything. Damn, things are cheap here in Mexico. Funny that I remember the price of shoes. Fran and I shop for more clothes. And I treat her to a new skirt and blouse as well. Damn, I'm a nice boss. I'm not sure if she's trying to pull one over on me or not. I'll ask Jack when I get home.

Finally we make it home and I'm so tired from walking so much. I tell Fran and Jack both that I'm going to take another nap. It feels good to take a nap. I wonder if I took naps before the accident. It seems to come so naturally. Right at two o'clock I get sleepy.

When I wake up, I walk into the living room. I can faintly hear someone arguing. I silently walk closer to the commotion. It's Jack and Fran, but I can't make out what they're saying. I walk closer, trying to be sneaky. I can't even imagine what they're arguing about.

"I told you that we have to be careful." Jack says to her.

"We were careful. She wanted to buy me some shoes and an outfit. Who am I to stop her?"

I laugh out loud. Oops, busted. Jack and Fran turn toward me. "Yes, I wanted to buy her an outfit." I defend Fran. Now I know I've been manipulated. It won't happen again.

"And you can buy yourself anything your heart desires." Jack says to me as he closes the distance between us. He kisses me on the cheek again, then swats me on the butt playfully.

Damn, that felt oddly familiar. What the hell?

"Are you OK? I didn't hit you too hard. Did I?" Jack asks, suddenly very worried about me.

I laugh. "No." I shake my head, trying to shake off the feeling. Why do I remember the stupidest things, the meaningless things? So what if Jack swatted me on the butt a few times. We were married. Married people do things like that occasionally to spice things up. I wonder if Jack and I needed some spicing up after only three years.

Fran laughs and then heads back to the kitchen. It's time for her to start preparing supper. Jack likes a big Mexican meal every night. It takes Fran hours to do it up right.

I meet Jack at the huge table in the dining room when Fran calls us for supper. I sit next to him at the head of the table. He tells me about his day. He's a business mogul apparently. He buys businesses and moves them to Juarrez where he can get lower labor and manufacturing costs. The people here love him because he brings jobs into the area. I think his business is interesting. He thinks it's boring and doesn't like to talk about it, except when I force it out of him. I'm pretty bored here all day with very little to do. Jack goes into his office a few miles away most days.

I tried to watch television, but it's all in Spanish and I don't understand very much Spanish. I know a little somehow. So I either forgot it or I never knew it very well. I wondered if I went to college, or where I went to high school. I haven't asked Jack too many questions. I was hoping to remember these things on my own.

"Jack, I think I'd like to go to a therapist." I announce to him.

This shocks him, I think. "A therapist?"

"Yes. Maybe he can help me recover some of my memories. I hate it that I can't remember you. You seem like such a nice guy and you deserve a better wife than I've been to you these last few weeks."

"Maybe we should consider that."

Jack somehow acts as if I should be asking his permission to go to a therapist. I don't know what the old Annie did, or how she acted, but this Annie was not a submissive soul. "I'm making the call tomorrow." I tell him.

He looks surprised again. Apparently the old Annie never asserted herself. Hmm. Maybe I didn't want to find the old Annie again.

Christian's POV.

Taylor finally found a lead that seemed hopeful. Six weeks after Ana is kidnapped, we're flying to Juarrez, Mexico. He's found where a guy flew a private plane into the Dallas airport, then chartered a jet to Juarrez, Mexico. He paid in cash and he had a brunette woman with him, who was sleeping. They said she'd just been released from the hospital and they were returning home to Mexico. Taylor had sent pictures to the airport personnel and they confirmed that the man was Jack. I haven't been this excited since Ana had been kidnapped. I hope with all my heart that Ana was OK and that we will find her. I was ready to get my wife back, and my life back.

The jet lands in Juarrez. I'm not sure where we're going from here. We'll search house to house if we have to. I've brought Sawyer and four other men from my security team. Everyone listens to Taylor's instructions. They are all armed with Ana's picture and Jack's picture. We will ask everyone we come in contact with.

Three days later, I walk into a shoe store. I'm tired. I haven't slept in days. I've been walking nonstop since we've landed in this godforsaken city. I ask the saleslady if she's seen my wife, or Jack. She looks at the picture of Ana. I can see a spark of recognition there. I pull out a few hundred dollar bills. I'm prepared to bribe her for the information.

She shakes her head, telling me no to the money. "I've seen her. She was in here about a week ago."

"Was she OK?" I dial Taylor, and tell him where I'm at. He's there within five minutes.

"How did she look? Was she alone or with this guy?" he holds out a picture of Jack.

"She was with a lady named Fran. They were laughing and having fun. Fran bought two pairs of shoes. This lady paid for them." She points at the picture of Ana.

What the hell? Why is she leisurely shopping around, while I'm worried sick about her. "No man with her at all?"

"She had a security guard with her. Kind of like this guy." She points to Taylor.

Taylor was all muscles, ex-military. He kept in superb shape. I didn't know what was going on, but I was going to find out.

"Any idea where this Fran lady lives?" Taylor asks.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."

"If you think of anything, call us anytime, day or night." Taylor hands her his card. "Any time. We've come a long way to find her, and she means the world to this guy."

"I can tell. That's why I answered your questions." She says.

Taylor and I walk out. Another dead end. But we are getting closer. Taylor and I head back to the hotel suite. I get a little sleep for the first time in days. It sounds like Ana is OK. I wonder why she's not running for the first phone she can find to call me though. Then I remember the bump on her head that knocked her out. Could she possibly have lost her memory entirely? Could she possibly believe that Jack is her husband now? Elizabeth made it sound like Jack was hoping to play house with my wife. Damn, I hope she is wrong, but nothing else seems to fit.

Taylor sleeps in the next room. I don't bother locking the door between us. I never do when I'm alone. He is on the phone taking care of the other guys. They have a room right next to us. No one else found any news on Ana today. We were the lucky ones. I hope to hell that I find her in time.

I hear Taylor's cell phone ring about two in the morning. He picks it up. "Taylor here." He says gruffly. I know he's just woken up. I stand up and walk that way. If it's a late night call, it's bad news. I hope it's not his daughter. He will leave me here in a heartbeat if it is. "Maria? Do you know her last name?"

Hell, it's about Ana. It's got to be. I walk into his room. He sits up in bed. I wait patiently, trusting him to do his job.

"Any information you can give us would be helpful, Ma'am."

I'm so hopeful that I'm about to start a victory dance.

"OK, I've got it. Thanks for calling, Ma'am. I can't tell you how much we appreciate it." He hangs up. "We've got a lead."

"Tell me more, Taylor." I chastise him.

"The woman who was with Ana, Fran. She ran into someone that she knew in that shoe store. The saleslady knew her from church. She doesn't know her well, but she did give us a first and a last name. We'll have to do the rest. Track her down and question her." Taylor steps up out of bed. He's in his underwear as he goes for his laptop. "Maria Lopez."

"That's not going to be an easy name to find here." I warn him.

"We've gotten here on lesser leads." He says, again full of the optimism that I didn't know he had. "We're going to find her, sir. If it's the last thing I do."

"Thanks, Taylor." I say then go back to my bedroom. I'm elated. I can almost feel her in my arms again. I can't wait to hold her again. Please let her and Blip be OK. I can't believe how badly I want the baby to be OK. I can't say that I was pleased when she told me that she was pregnant. Not my proudest moment. I handled that so poorly. I'm still ashamed to admit that to anyone.

We're knocking on Maria Lopez's front door before the sun rises the next morning. I should have known Taylor would come through for me. We stand together as a very nice looking Mexican lady answers the door. "Hello?" she greets us.

Taylor tips his head. "Ma'am, we're looking for this woman." Taylor holds out the picture of Ana.

The lady looks at it, then shakes her head.

"Yo habla Engles?" Taylor asks her.

She shakes her head again. She hasn't understood a word we've said. Thank goodness Taylor speaks a little Spanish.

"Donde esta Maria Lopez?" he asks. His Spanish is broken, but I think he's gotten his point across. I wish I'd taken Spanish instead of French right now.

"Esta aqui." She says, then points inside. She motions for us to come inside.

We waste no time. We want to talk to Maria in the worst way. Another nice looking Mexican lady walks into the living to see what all the commotion is. She sees us and smiles. She likes the way Taylor looks. I've seen that look before. It's saying that she'd take him on the floor right now. I happen to know that Taylor is a stand up guy though. He doesn't cheat. Right now he's dating Mrs. Jones. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't become Mrs. Taylor soon. He smiles at the lady. I'm sure it's only to make her more receptive to our questions.

"Maria Lopez?" he asks.

She nods, then looks Taylor up and down. Maybe I'll let Taylor handle this on his own. We might get further.

"We're looking for this woman." He holds out Ana's picture.

Maria takes it from him, making sure to brush his hand slowly. She smiles at him again, then looks at the picture. She looks surprised. "Yes, I've seen her, a few days ago, maybe a few weeks ago now."

"At the shoe store in town." Taylor says.

She looks surprised, but she gives Taylor a look that says she's impressed with his skills. If she only knew what kind of skills he possesses. He can take a man down with one finger, and he knows every weapon known to man. "Yes, in the shoe store. She was with a friend of mine, named Fran."

"Fran? Do you have a last name for Fran? Do you know where she lives?"

"No, but she'll be in church tomorrow. She never misses a confession."

"We'll be there." I tell Taylor.

"I'll give you the address."

"Can you not tell Fran that we're looking for her? We'd like to surprise Fran's friend, Ana." I tell her.

She gives me a look that tells us she thinks we're up to no good.

"It's OK. We're not here to hurt Ana. We just want to take her back home where she belongs." Taylor says, then places his hand on top of hers, trying to assure her.

Way to go, Taylor. He's using his charms. Another personality trait I didn't know he had. Who would have thought the guy could flirt when he had to? I'm going to have to give him a raise for that one.

"I won't tell her, but if you're so close to her, why do you call her Ana?"

"Excuse me? That's her name." I say to her.

"She goes by Annie now. I don't know how long it's been since you've seen her."

"It seems like forever." I tell her. "Only her father called her Annie."

On the way back to the hotel, Taylor and I discuss the situation. He really thinks that Ana has some kind of amnesia, or maybe we're tracking the wrong woman.

"Maybe you should call Doctor Flynn and ask his advice." Taylor suggests to me. He acts as if he thinks he is carefully approaching his boundaries.

"That's a good idea. I could use his advice. If it is her that we're tracking, we may need his assistance." I speed dial Dr. Flynn. Yes I have him on speed dial. "Doctor Flynn, how would you like a vacation in Juarrez?"

"Juarrez?" he asks me.

"Yes, we think we're about to find Ana. And we think she has amnesia. Can you fly down to help us? I can send the jet for you."

"Can I bring my wife?" he asks. He knows the answer already.

"Of course. I'll have the jet there for you ready to go tomorrow morning. Thanks, Dr. Flynn."

All we can do now is wait. That is by far not my favorite thing in the world to do. I hate waiting. I really hope we don't lose her. We're so close. I can just feel it somehow. I want it to be her that we find tomorrow.

Taylor has us at the church bright and early the next morning. We're almost the first ones there. We sit in the back so we can catch Maria when she comes in. The church fills up quickly. Taylor and I are just about the only Americans in the church. Maria walks in, dressed to the hilt. She has her hair up, wearing a red dress that hugs all of her curves, and sky high heels. She smiles at Taylor, then sits next to us in our pew.

"Hello." She says to both of us.

I nod to her. I feel like we need to be quiet, although the church isn't too quiet at the moment.

"I'm so glad you made it." Taylor whispers to her.

"I'm glad you made it. Fran is the woman in the front pew, on the left. She's the third person in. After church, we'll go talk to her, before she goes to confession." Maria whispers to her.

Damn, we'll have to sit through church. Maybe I could use this time to actually pray for the safety of my wife and our child.

I watch as Maria makes several moves on Taylor. She pats his leg several times. He smiles at her, but he doesn't return the moves. I'm sure he's waiting until we get the information that we need, then he'll let her down easy. He's always been a gentleman as far as I know.

After an hour of watching Maria cross and uncross her legs, and run her hand up and down her leg, church is finally over. I stand up quickly so we won't miss Fran. Taylor joins me. Maria is on the outside position. When Fran walks near us, she notices Maria, then notices Taylor and me. "Hi, Maria." She says to her, then gives her a hug.

"Hello, Fran. I wanted to introduce you to some friends of mine from out of town." Maria pulls Fran into our pew aisle. "This is Taylor, and his friend Grey."

Grey? I wonder where she got that. I nod my head and smile her. I'm hoping this woman is my lifeline to my wife. I don't want to scare her away. Taylor shakes her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hey, who was that woman you were with last week in the shoe store?" Maria asks. She's straight to the point.

"That was Annie, my new boss."

"I knew I'd never seen her before. Why were you saying you've been with her for three years?"

"Her husband told me that she has brain damage. He brought her here to help her deal with it. He's created this fantasy life for her, here, and I have to go along with it, to keep my job. It's kind of fun. I can talk her into anything. She bought me those shoes and an outfit in another store. I told her that she always does. They're quite wealthy."

My blood was boiling that she was taking advantage of Ana like that.

"Is it another live-in job?" Maria asks.

"It is. Arturo and I stay in the little cottage out back. It's really nice. He's their driver. So we get to spend a lot of time together now."

"That's great. Where do they live? I mean, where do you live now? I'd love to see your new place. I'll bring a housewarming gift."

Damn, this girl was good. And she was a great actress. Taylor and I let her play it out.

"You know where that bigwig, George Garcia, used to live? He owned all of the jeans manufacturing plants, until he was shot in the head."

"Yes, I remember that house. His wife had to sell it about a year ago. I haven't seen the new owners yet."

"I work for the new owner. He's really nice."

"That's great. Are you off today? I can swing by this afternoon after I buy you a present."

"Absolutely." Fran says.

I can't believe it. Maria has gotten us in the house practically. We can go grab Ana, and be out of here by nightfall. Unless she doesn't recognize me and she starts screaming. Oh boy. I'm nervous now. I decide to call Dr. Flynn when we are alone.

Dr Flynn advises me not to confront Ana. He said it could do more harm than good and might upset her. It might even hinder her recovery. He wants to see her before I do. I don't know how I'm going to arrange that. I wait in the car while Taylor talks to Maria and Fran for a little while.

When Taylor gets in the car, Maria joins him in the front seat. He drives, but not toward the hotel.

"Where are we going, Taylor?" I ask him.

"I thought we'd drive by that house. Maria said she'd show us where it is. We'll be ready just in case we need to do anything drastic."

"You said you weren't going to hurt her." Maria reminds him.

"We won't hurt her. We're not even sure if it's Ana yet. If it is Ana, we plan to take her home so we can get her the help she needs." I try to explain.

We drive slowly by the house, as per Maria's directions. We don't want to attract any attention our way. Taylor doesn't stop. No one is outside. It's a very nice house. I think it's the nicest one I've seen since we landed here. I guess the five million dollars buys a lot of house here. I hate being out of control of this situation. I can't go against Dr. Flynn's advice though. I hate thinking about Ana in that house with him.

"She seemed fine when you saw her. Right?" I ask Maria for reassurance.

"She seemed happy. She was very friendly with Fran." Maria confirms for me.

"We'll wait then, Taylor. Dr. Flynn says it could do her harm if we surprise her."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says. "I'll set up a watch though, just in case."

"Sawyer is the only one she'd recognize. Keep him off of that detail."

"Yes, sir. That was my plan."

We drop Maria off at the church. Her car is the only one left in the parking lot. It's clear that she's hoping for more from Taylor as he walks her to her car. He makes it back to our car in record time.

"Back to the hotel, sir?" he asks me.

"Yes, Taylor." I say to him.

Taylor gets on his cell phone immediately and gets the security team straightened out. He's going to have the house watched around the clock. I'm so grateful for his expertise. They'll be covert. All of them are professional and ex-military men. I couldn't ask for a better security team. I only wish I had the best on Ana that day. I will never forgive myself for that one.

I hear Taylor on the phone with Maria. He's speaking in a tone that I haven't heard from him before. He's softly spoken. I can tell he's trying to persuade her to do something for us. When he gets off the phone, I ask him about it. I can't help myself.

"She's going to go see Fran and discreetly gather information for us. Knowing as much as we can about Fran's or Ana's schedule will help us immensely."

"So she's going to spy for us. Good job, Taylor. I must say you're quite the charmer when the job calls for it."

"Anything for Ana, sir."

"Thanks, Taylor. It's taking every bit of self control that I have not to break into that house and drag her out of there. Dr, Flynn has cautioned me strongly against it, or that's right where we'd be right now."

"I know, sir."

I have to wait the rest of the afternoon. We did get one phone call from the security team. They spotted Ana, and they confirmed that it was actually her. That brought me more hope. They also said that she looked happy and unharmed. That gave me more hope. Maria called Taylor's cell phone while we were in the room.

"Taylor here." He says, then pauses. "Very good…Yes, thank you for doing this for us…Talk to you later."

I look at him, questioning him. He knows I want details.

"She usually goes shopping at the local grocery store on Monday mornings. We're in luck. If we stake out the grocery store, we'll catch her going in. How should we handle that?"

"What if you went in alone? Or maybe you could take Maria if she's free. You two could accidentally run into Fran, and we could see if she recognized you."

"That could work. And if she does recognize me, we'll have to snatch her, no matter what Dr. Flynn says."

"I agree. I'll watch from outside unless you buzz me. And don't hesitate to call if you need me."

"I won't, sir." He answers immediately. "I'll call Maria back in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Taylor."

The next morning, Taylor and I pick Maria up bright and early. She's dressed in jeans and heels today. Again, she looks hot. I know it's for Taylor's benefit. "Hello, guys." She calls out to us as she steps in the front seat with Taylor.

"Hello, Maria." I say to her. "And, thanks for doing this for us. It might be a long boring morning for you."

"I'm OK. I didn't have anything else to do."

Maria and Taylor chat while we ride toward the grocery store. Taylor circles it a few times, before he parks in a position where we have a clear view of the only door going into the store. Then we have to do my favorite thing: wait. Damn it. I watch as people enter and exit the store. I listen as Maria tries to impress Taylor with her various hobbies. Yes, I'll have to give the guy a bonus for this stakeout.

Then I see her. She's getting out of a car with Fran by her side. It's her. I can tell by the way she walks. I'm too excited to speak. I want to jump out of the car so badly, but I restrain myself.

"That's her. Let's get in there." Taylor says to Maria and jumps out of the car.

I watch as Ana walks into the store. She seems happy to be with Fran. She seems carefree and innocent like in the photographs that Jose took of her. I had to pay ten thousand dollars to acquire those photographs. They're hanging in my study at the new house now. The house that I was hoping to move into in the next few months with my wife.

Thirty minutes later, Taylor and Maria walk back out. Taylor seems happy, jovial even. I rarely see him like that, except when I walk in on him with Mrs. Jones occasionally. I hate it when I do that, but I can't be expected to tiptoe around my own apartment.

"Yes, that's her. She didn't recognize me."

"That's good. How was she?" I ask quickly. Please let him say that she's doing well.

"She's fine. She's not the Ana we knew though. The only thing that reminded me of our Ana was the ring she was wearing. Her hair is different. Her makeup is different. She dresses differently. Her entire personality is different. I would have sworn it was Ana's twin." Taylor says. He's really taken back by his recent interaction with Ana.

"What do you mean that her personality is different?" I ask.

"She was more outgoing, less shy, no inhibitions whatsoever. She was bolder."

"She flirted with him." Maria adds as she tosses me a look.

"Flirted?" I ask her.

"She was squeezing his biceps and comparing them to the cantaloupes." Maria explains.

"It wasn't quite that bad." Taylor spits out quickly.

"We'll have to talk to Dr. Flynn about this." I tell them. "Did you mention to her that Dr. Flynn will be in town soon."

"We did. We worked it in." Maria says with a smile. She knows she's done a good job for us. I'll have to buy her a car for her trouble. "I told her that Taylor was seeing a therapist for his nightmares. She jumped on it. Taylor gave her his card, just like you planned."

"Great job, you two." I say, then I catch sight of Ana walking out with Fran. She does look different. She looks more confident now. I watch as the love of my life steps into the car and drives off. "I hope she calls soon."

We've got a phone number set up for Dr. Flynn already and we had cards made. Hell if Jack could set up shop and make her think he's been here for years, we can do the same thing. At least I've got something to occupy my mind while I wait for her to call and set up an appointment with Dr. Flynn.

Taylor drops me at the hotel, then he drives Maria back to her house. I am sitting in the hotel thinking about what I will say to my wife when I finally speak to her. Out of the blue, my cell phone rings. I look at the caller ID. It says "A Hyde". Damn, it's my wife. I was hoping Dr. Flynn would be here to answer the call when she finally called. I never expected her to call so soon. I think quickly.

"Dr. Flynn's office. Can I help you?" I've never been an employee in my life, except if you count the time that I served as a submissive to Elena. I'd heard my secretaries answer the phone like that a million times though. That should cut it.

"Yes, this is Annie Hyde. I'd like to make an appointment to see Dr. Flynn this afternoon for a therapy session." Ana says into the phone. Her voice sounds more commanding, but it's her voice and I'm about to die to tell her who I am, and beg her to come home with me.

Oh shit. Did she say this afternoon? Dr. Flynn won't arrive until tomorrow. Damn it! "I'm sorry, Dr. Flynn is booked up this afternoon. Can I schedule you in for tomorrow?"

"That would be fine. Does he have an opening at two o'clock?" she asks.

"He does. I'll schedule you then. Do you know where our office is?" I ask.

"I do. My new friend, Taylor, highly recommended Dr. Flynn and gave me his card. Will I see you there?" she asks.

"I'm always here, Ana." I say to her.

"Annie." She corrects me. There's a tone of annoyance in her voice. I almost laugh but I hold it in. It's so good to hear her voice. I've wanted to hear her voice for six weeks now.

"Annie." I say the name, but it just doesn't feel right. "We'll see you tomorrow at two."

She hangs up the phone. I decide it's time to call Ray and let him in on the new developments. That's a hard phone call to make, but I have to do it. How do you tell a guy that his daughter doesn't even know him any longer?

That's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know if you do. I'm working on my other story, Shades of Steele, right now, then I'll write more on this one. I think it's getting exciting. How about everyone else? I'm really liking writing this fan fiction. It's almost as much fun as writing my own books.

I also write as Autumn Brown on Siren, and on Amazon if you're interesting in my published books. Look at my profile if you'd like to see my website as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Christian's POV.

"What?" Ray asks me again over the phone.

"She's alive, but Jack has her and he's somehow convinced her that she's his wife. Her memory is gone. We don't know if she's hit her head or what. Dr. Flynn is going to talk to her tomorrow and see what we need to do. But we can't scare her. Dr. Flynn feels that the truth could cause her to go into shock."

"Won't she recognize Dr. Flynn and go into shock?" Ray asks.

"Good question, Ray. It's OK if she realizes who we are on her own, but it would bad for us to force it on her."

"When can I see her?" he demands.

"Ray, you've just been released from the hospital a few weeks ago. I don't think you're able to fly yet."

"I'm coming, even if I have to drive." He threatens.

"I'll send the jet for you. Just give me two days. And, you can't tell her who you are, she has to recognize you, or you don't say anything. Or maybe Dr. Flynn will have a better idea."

"So you're letting her live with Jack?"

"Jack's out of town. She's not in danger at the moment. He could come back at any time. We'll kidnap her back ourselves if we have to."

"I'm coming. Can you set me up a room?" he asks a little more politely.

"I can do that, Ray."

"Thanks, Christian." He hangs up the phone. He's never been one for proper hellos and goodbyes. He is a man of few words.

This is going to prove interesting. And, I'm sure he'll tell Carla, and she'll be on the next plane here. That will be a fiasco. But then again, seeing her parents might be just the boost that she needs to regain her memory.

I don't do waiting. I never do waiting. And here I am waiting for my wife to walk back into my life. I'm overly anxious to see her again. Dr. Flynn has set up shop in the building. He has an office that looks like he's been here for a while. We even have some of the security here acting as patients to Dr. Flynn. Everything is on track. I'm not nervous about that part of the plan. I'm nervous about seeing Ana again. I'm going to have to exercise great self control to not sweep her up in my arms and take her off to the plane. I promised Dr. Flynn that I would do what was best for her, no matter what it was. He would evaluate her and let me know his opinion.

I have a speaker set up to listen in to Dr. Flynn's session with her. Taylor helped me set it up, with Barney on the phone telling us just how to do everything. Taylor and I even tested it. Taylor is here, waiting with me as well. He's going to act like he's coming out, just as Ana goes in. We should have everything covered. And, if it goes awry, then I have six security personnel in the room to help control the situation.

It's a quarter to two, and I'm pacing. I've gone over everything with Dr. Flynn. I'm convinced that I will look like a competent receptionist. I can play a role as well as the next guy. The waiting is going to kill me.

Taylor stands up abruptly. "She's on her way into the building, Mr. Grey." He says.

I've told him to call me Christian time and time again. I sit back in my office chair, trying to look professional. I pick up the phone and alert Dr. Flynn. "She's on her way." I hang up quickly.

Taylor runs for Dr. Flynn's office. He runs inside and closes the door. I know he wants to be in here when Ana walks in, just in case there's trouble, but I need him in a different role right now. He's made friends with her already. We can use that.

I hear the elevator door open, and I try so hard not to turn around. I pick up the phone and act like I'm answsering it. "Dr. Flynn's office. Can I help you?" I hear Ana walk around to my desk. I look up at her. our eyes lock. I'm speechless. I've waited so long to see her again. I'm frozen. I swallow hard. "Can you hold, please?" I push a button on the phone, continuing to look at Ana. I don't see an ounce of recognition in her eyes. She's smiling though. She looks so different. Her hair is completely different, and she's dressed differently. She's more provocative than usual. A tight fitting blouse that's unbuttoned past her bra, and a tight fitting skirt, with heels, and lots of jewelry. Usually I can't get her in these kind of clothes, unless we're in the playroom, acting out a scene. She's showing cleavage. She's grown some since I've seen her. it must be the pregnancy or a padded bra, I decide. Either way, she's hot as hell.

"I have a two o'clock appointment with Dr. Flynn. I'm Annie Hyde." She says to me, in a sexy voice.

"He's with a patient at the moment. Would you like to have a seat?" I ask her.

She's staring at me, still. I hope she recognizes me. She cocks her head to one side. "Were you the guy I talked to yesterday on the phone?"

"Yes, that was me." I answer her, not taking my eyes off of her.

"You look as good as you sounded." She says with a smile.

My mouth falls open. My Ana would never flirt with a stranger. Maybe she was remembering me on some level. I hope so. "So do you." I answer her. I didn't want to take it to any level that she wasn't comfortable with. This seems harmless enough. I smile at her. She'd always told me that my smile disarmed women. Maybe it could disarm her now.

She smiles back at me. "So what's your name? I don't see a name plate on your desk."

She's flirting with me. I don't think I've ever seen her actually flirt.

"Guess. I'll let you pick out a name for me today." I flirt with her. This is so not my style. I'm not accustomed to flirting. I usually take what I want without all of the foreplay so to speak.

"Let's see. You have incredibly beautiful eyes. They're such an odd color. Gray. I'm going to call you Gray Eyes."

I start to cough. Her memory of me has to be in there somewhere. This is just too coincidental. She could have named me anything and she names me "Gray". "I think I like the name, Gray. You can call me that, Ana."

"Annie." She corrects me immediately.

"Annie." I say. "Maybe I wanted to change your name too."

"Nope. It's Annie or Mrs. Hyde. I'm still getting used to that name."

"Annie, it is, then." I say. No way in hell will I be calling my wife Mrs. Hyde.

Just then, Taylor opens the door and walks out. Ana smiles at him. "Taylor. I didn't know you were going to be here." She walks up to him and hugs him.

He's taken back for a second. I'm not sure if he's worried about what I'm going to say or do, or if it's just that Ana doesn't usually hug him when she sees him. "Annie, it's nice to see you again. I see you've taken my advice. You're giving Dr. Flynn a try."

"I figured it couldn't hurt." She answers with a little laugh, pulling away from Taylor.

"I'm here quite often. I'm pretty messed up." Taylor teases with her. He's also setting us up in case he' sin here next time she's in, if there is a next time.

"well, it was nice to see you again, Taylor."

Dr. Flynn steps out of his office and greets Ana. "Ana, it's nice to meet you." He says.

"It's Annie." Ana says, and then stamps her foot. "I swear, if you and your assistant can't get my name right, I might just take my craziness somewhere else."

"Alright. Annie." Dr. Flynn says. "Please come in and have a seat."

Ana walks in and sits down on the couch. Taylor pretends to walk toward the elevator. The minute Dr. Flynn's door closes, Taylor walks over to behind my desk. We have the speaker ready to go. Taylor taps it, and we listen in to the conversation.

Annie's/Ana's POV.

OK, I was here. The last place in the world I ever thought I'd be. A shrink's office. I wasn't crazy. Or at least I didn't think I was crazy. I'm not exactly sure why I'm here. I mean, I know he can't give me a pill to help me remember my life before six weeks ago. I've seen several doctors already. I know nothing will help me, but being around familiar surroundings, and so far that hasn't worked either. I've been hanging around the house, staring at everything, and nothing has come back to me. Not a thing.

"So what brings you in to see me today, Annie?" Dr. Flynn starts the conversation. He seems like a nice guy. If I ever had to picture a shrink, he'd look like this.

"Well, I've recently hit my head and I have amnesia. I don't remember a thing before six weeks ago. I'm feeling lost and confused. My husband wants me to act like a wife in the biblical sense, but I just can't. My housekeeper wants me to be her best friend again. I don't know what to do." I tell him. I'm not sure why I'm telling him so much. Some of this really should be private. But I really do want his help.

"That's quite a load to carry around, Annie. Is your husband forcing you to have sex?" he asks me.

What the hell? What kind of question is that? And why is that the first question he asks. "No, he'd never do that. He's a sweetheart of a man. I was kidnapped six weeks ago, right before this happened, and he risked his life to save me. He was even shot because of me. He treats me very well. I'm a lucky woman."

"Lucky?" he asks me.

"Yes, I'm lucky that I married so well. And that he loves me so much. I'm lucky that he married me."

"So, you have some self esteem issues that we need to work on, I see."

"I don't think so." I defend myself quickly.

"Is he telling you that you're lucky he married you? And are you believing it?"

I think about that for a second.

"I've never met Mr. Hyde, but I'd say that he was the lucky one, Annie."

I stare at the doctor for a second. I'm not sure what to say. "Is there any way that I can regain my memory faster?"

"Have you regained any of your memory?"

That's just like a doctor, always answering a question with a question. "Bits and pieces here and there."

"Give me an example."

"I remember being cuffed naked to a wall. My hands and my feet were both cuffed, spread eagle, and someone was whipping me with a braided whip."

"Did you see his face?"

"No. I keep trying to see his face, but it won't come to me."

"Don't push too hard. It needs to come to you on its own." He says. "Is there anything else you've remembered? Anything at all?"

"I remember Jack kissing me, then spanking me on the butt, playfully." I say.

I heard loud coughing outside the door from the reception area. I can't even imagine what's going on out there. I look around toward the door.

"My new receptionist. He's still learning the ropes." Dr. Flynn says immediately.

I look at him funny. "And, I remembered being in the bathtub with my husband."

"With Mr. Hyde?" he asks.

That's a funny question. "Yes, the only husband I have. I think he's the only husband I've had." Now I'm wondering if he's been my only husband. Jack implied that I wasn't a really chaste girl when he met me. I wonder how many men I've been with.

"So you've taken a bath with your husband? But you won't have sex with him?"

"I haven't taken a bath with him since the accident, but I'm sure I have in the past. I keep remembering it."

"Do you see his face?"

"No. I just see his arms wrapped around me, holding me close."

"So, am I understanding this right? You've seen memories of your husband from the past, but you haven't seen his face?"

"Yes, and my kidnapper that cuffed me to the wall and beat me. I didn't see his face either."

"Hmm."

"What does that mean?" I ask him ansxiously. I can tell that he has someth9ing on h9is mind. Has he figured out what's wrong with me already?

"I'm not sure. It's odd that you don't remember faces. What triggers a memory? Can you pinpoint any specific incidents? Sights, smells, touches?"

"Touches mostly. And I dream at night, remembering things."

"You're sure they're not just dreams?"

"I'm pretty sure. They feel real. Is there anything else I can do? I'd really like to get back to normal, for Jack."

"First of all, you have to want it for yourself, not for someone else. Second surround yourself with familiarities. Let the memories come naturally."

"I've surrounded myself with my house, my friends. I've spent hours staring at the walls, the pictures, the dishes, the couches. Nothing is bring back memories."

"Hmm." He says, then rubs his chin. He runs his finger across his lower lip. Something about that looks familiar, but I can't place it. "Maybe you should go for walks then. Sometimes getting away for a while will help. Go to the music store, the book store. See what turns your head."

I nod to him. Maybe he's right. What I'm doing is not working. "I think I've had enough for today." I say to Dr. Flynn. I feel like I'm being pushed beyond my limits. I can't take much more of this.

"OK. We can stop. Can I see you again tomorrow?" he asks.

"Tomorrow? Am I that crazy?" I ask, halfway joking.

"You're not crazy, but you do have an issue that needs to be resolved. Amnesia is nothing to sneeze at, Annie. I'd like to continue working on that with you, if you're comfortable with me."

"Sure. I don't know why, but I'm comfortable with you. I'll make an appointment for tomorrow and see you then."

"Great. It was nice meeting you, Annie." Dr. Flynn says as he steps up.

I step up and walk toward the door that he has open for me. He pokes his head out, "Can you make an appointment for Annie for tomorrow." He asks the good looking receptionist. Whoever heard of a man receptionist? But he was nice to look at.

"Tomorrow?" the receptionist asks. "Would any time be good for you, Annie?"

"Afternoon is best." I say to his gray eyes which are piercing me at the moment. Those eyes are making me melt. In fact, they're making me hot. I can't possibly know this guy.

"Two o'clock again?" he asks, then pulls out a card and starts writing on it.

"That would be great." I tell him, never taking my eyes off of his.

He writes on the card, then hands it to me. I don't look at it. When he puts it into my hand, I feel a spark of electricity, like static electricity, run from his hand to mine. I gasp. It causes my breath to hitch for just a second. He notices it too. I see his eyes widen slightly, then he lets out a breath. "Tomorrow then." He says in a smooth sexy voice that is almost my undoing.

"Tomorrow, Gray." I finally manage to spit out.

"Shall I walk you to the elevator?" he asks as he stands up.

I check him out from head to toe. Oh, he is delicious looking. He has a perfect body, definitely a product of many hours in the gym. He is wearing a nice pair of Khaki pants and a white linen shirt. My gaze locks on his shirt. Why does it look so familiar? Jack wears white linen shirts. Maybe I'm remembering that. But why haven't I had this memory before? I'm so confused.

"That's OK. I can make it by myself." I say to him. I don't trust myself around him for some reason. He looks too good, and I somehow have some kind of feelings for him. I wonder if therapy here is a good idea. I don't want to wind up cheating on my husband after everything he's been through with me.

Gray Eyes sits back down. I can see the disappointment in his face. It's almost as if I've hurt his feelings. "I'll see you tomorrow, Annie."

I smile at him then make my way toward the elevator. I'm in a whirlwind of emotions, and memories that I don't understand. Sparks from a stranger? And memories of a white linen shirt? What could that mean?

Arturo drives me home. The drive home feels familiar.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you think. I've never done fan fiction before.

I also write as Autumn Brown on Siren Bookstrand and Amazon if you'd like to take a look at my first two published books.


	4. Chapter 4

Christian's POV.

"But she called me Gray." I tell Dr. Flynn again. Why can't he see my point of view on this?

"I know that, but it's not a sure sign that she recognizes you. If she did, she would have said something. I'm afraid Annie is not nearly as shy as Ana was."

Well he had a point there. She looked more confident, and acted more confident now. I wasn't sure where that confidence was coming from.

"What can we do?"

"You've got someone watching her around the clock, right?" Dr. Flynn asked me.

Taylor chimes in. "At all times, day and night. She won't go anywhere without us being there, and Jack won't sneak back in unless we know about it."

"As long as we can keep her physically safe, we need to let her memory come back on her own, Christian. Trust me. This is for the best."

"Is there anything I can do to hurry it along, John? I miss my wife."

"If there is anything you can bring that will jog her memory, bring it to the office here. We don't want to force anything on her, but if she sees something that sparks a memory for her, we'll be taking a step in the right direction."

"OK." I agree with Dr. Flynn. "Any word on Jack?" I ask Taylor.

"He's still in Washington, but we can't pinpoint him. We'll find him, Mr. Grey."

"I want first crack at him when you do, Taylor."

"You'll have it, sir."

I head back to the hotel, giving Dr. Flynn the rest of the day off to go out with his wife. We won't need him again until tomorrow at 1:30. I rack my brain to think about what I could show my wife to bring her memories of me back. I send Taylor out after some English Twinings tea. I manage to find the first tie that I tied Ana up with, and her Blackberry that she left at the bank. This should be a good start.

My phone rings. It's Taylor. I immediately answer. "Yes?"

"Sir, she's on the move. I thought you'd want to be informed."

"Where's she going?" I asked him. "Is she alone?"

"She's alone. Well, Arturo is driving her. We'll have to follow her to find out where, sir."

"Of course, but I don't want you to do it. Send one of the guys. I don't want her seeing you. It'll blow your cover and we may need it soon."

"Yes, sir."

"Thanks, Taylor." I hang up the phone. Taylor has gone above and beyond the call of duty on this one. I'll have to make sure to give him a big bonus. Hell, if she's going out alone, maybe I could arrange to be there, accidentally. I dial Taylor back. "Can you bring the car around?"

"Yes, sir." Taylor hangs up.

A few minutes later, Taylor pulls up in the car, ready to drive me anywhere I want to go. I step in. "Just drive around until they tell us where Ana is."

Taylor nods, and then pulls out into traffic. As we cruise around the city, I look at everything around us. Maybe if I could find a restaurant that looks like the first one I took her to, I could somehow arrange to meet her there. About that time, Taylor's phone rings.

"Yes?" he answers it. "OK. Keep your distance, but make sure she's protected."

He hangs up. "She's pulling up to a bookstore. It's just around the corner. Should we drive by?" he asks me.

"Absolutely." I say to him. I should have known that she'd find her way to a bookstore sooner or later. That's my Ana. "Let me out. I'll call you if I need you, Taylor."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says as we pull to the curb in front of the bookstore.

I know exactly where she'll go if she has any memory left at all. I head to the literature section and quickly find a book by Thomas Hardy. It's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I pick it up and pretend to be reading it as I scan the place for Ana. I don't see her anywhere. I wait, not so patiently. I don't do waiting well. After a few minutes, I decide that I need to go looking for her.

I search the aisles and the lounging sections. I finally spot her sitting in a chair reading. I walk up to her. I notice that she's reading a self help book. It's titled, "Finding Your Own Way." I stand in front of her for a moment, hoping she'll look up and recognize me.

That doesn't work, so I clear my throat. She looks up immediately and then slams her book closed. Her face flushes and she gasps. I've embarrassed her, but I don't know why. She puts the book underneath her chair and manages to look up at me with some degree of difficulty. "Gray Eyes." She says finally.

"Annie." I return the greeting. I'm about to grab her and pull her to me. I want to squeeze her until she remembers me. "What a coincidence meeting you here."

She nods her head. "Lots of people come to bookstores, Gray Eyes."

"That they do. What are you reading so intently?" I ask her.

She blushes again. "Nothing." She says firmly. She's not telling me.

"Oh?" I ask.

"What are you reading?" she asks.

"It's Tess by Thomas Hardy." I say as I watch her face.

She looks at me funny. I'm almost positive that she's remembering something. I wait, not wanting to disturb her. "I think I did a paper on Thomas Hardy in college." She says wistfully.

"What college did you attend?" I ask her. I try to make it sound like casual conversation.

"I…" she stops, then gives me an obstinate look. "What is this? Twenty questions? I'm not in the mood to play games, Gray Eyes."

Wow! Where did that temper come from?

"I was just making conversation, Annie. I wasn't trying to be meddlesome."

She releases a breath. "I should be going." She says, and then struggles to get out of the chair. It's soft and she's deeply seated into it.

I hold out my hand to help her up. She takes it. I feel the static between us again. She feels it too. She stares at my hand for a second, and then looks up at me. She stares into my eyes for a second too long. I can feel something happening us. I hold her gaze. She suddenly gets an odd look on her face, and then she breaks our connection and runs past me. I think she's running outside, but she's running toward the bathroom. I follow her and wait outside for her to exit. I have to fight the urge to go in after her. I'll give her a few minutes, and then barge in.

A few minutes later, she walks out and looks at me. "You didn't have to wait on me."

"I wanted to be sure you were OK." I tell her. I want to wrap my arms around her. She's sick and in pain. I just want to make it better. I want to hold her.

"I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow." She says, then turns and walks away. She walks out the front door and doesn't look back.

I walk over to the chair where she was sitting and pull out the book. The book has another book inside it called, "What to Expect When You're Expecting". Oh boy, she knows she's pregnant. And, she thinks it's Jack's baby. Oh god. I should call Taylor and tell him to grab her right now.

Annie's POV.

Pregnant. That has to be what's wrong with me. Oh, I hope Jack and I were trying to get pregnant. I hope he's going to be happy about this. Maybe I'll make an appointment with a doctor to be sure. I don't want to cross that bridge unless I had to. I'm not sure why I have the distinct feeling that he's not going to be happy about this news.

Morning sickness, if that's what I have, is not fun. And why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day? And how is a pregnant woman supposed to keep up her strength when she can't keep anything down? It's not just the morning sickness though. I'm worried that Jack is not going to take the news well. I know he said we were going to remedy our childless state in the future, but did he mean the near future? I'm not sure why I have an uneasy feeling about this.

I look up an OB/GYN on the internet and make an appointment for tomorrow. He's able to see me in the morning. I'm so happy that I'll be finding out for sure sooner rather than later. This uncertainty is about to kill me, even though I'm fairly certain with all this barfing. I walk around the house, checking out the many guestrooms. I find myself debating over each room, determining if it would make a good nursery. Finally I settle on the guestroom that is closest to my room. Why didn't I choose the room closest to Jack's and my room?

I'm tired so I lie down to take a nap. Maybe pregnancy makes me tired too. Maybe that's what's wrong with me? I should have bought that book in the bookstore today. If the receptionist from my therapist's office hadn't intruded, I would have. And, why am I so attracted to him? Sure, he's delicious looking, but I'm a married woman. And, worse: I'm a married, pregnant woman. I've got to get a grip.

I fall straight asleep when I lie down. It feels so good to sleep and to rest. But then my dreams start again. They're nightmares this time. I dream of a little boy, about three or four years old. He's crying, and running away from someone in a small, dumpy apartment. He's filthy. The apartment is filthy with dirt everywhere on the floor, the walls, and the furniture. He's wearing dirty clothes that don't fit him. The shorts are too big, but the shirt is so small that it won't even button. It's obvious that he's a neglected child, or worse. He's screaming bloody murder as he runs to hide behind a battered couch that has springs poking through the seat cushions. He dives under a coffee table that has no top. Suddenly a huge hand grabs his waist and pulls him through the topless coffee table.

"Come here, you little shit. Where's your mom? Why isn't she working?" a big gruff voice yells to the little boy with much too long copper colored hair.

"I don't know." The little boy says to the man, quickly, obviously scared for his own safety.

"I'll teach her to skip out on me." The man threatens as he sits down with the little boy on his lap. He has the boy embraced tightly, forcing him to sit still. He opens the little boy's shirt, and stabs a lit cigarette onto the boy's chest.

The little boy lets out a blood curdling scream as the cigarette sears his dirty skin. He squirms and bucks and kicks, trying to escape the torment. The screams don't stop as the man laughs out loud.

I wake up screaming. The little boy's pain sears my soul. The man's laughter haunts me. What was this dream? Why would I dream something so horrible? It feels so real, but I don't know how it could be real. This nightmare didn't even involve me. Who could do this to a little boy? How could anyone be so cruel? Damn, I hope this wasn't an actual memory. I hope the little boy is safe now.

"Mrs. Hyde, you were right. You're pregnant." The doctor says as he examines me.

"Can you tell how far along I am?" I ask him.

"I'd say between eight and ten weeks." He says. "We can do an ultrasound if you'd like."

"I think I'll wait until next time. I need some time for this to sink in first, Doctor."

"So this is an unplanned pregnancy?" he asks me.

"I wish I knew the answer to that." I say to him. I'm ready for this exam to be over with.

The doctor gives me an inquisitive look. I don't bother answering his unspoken question. I'm ready to go talk to my therapist and hopefully get my memory back. I like Dr. Flynn. He seems to understand me better than anyone else in my life at the moment.

After lunch, I head to Dr. Flynn's office. I get on the elevator and punch my button. I stare at the button for a second. I'm anxious to unload this news on Dr. Flynn. Maybe he can offer me some kind of advice. As I enter the reception area, I spot Gray Eyes. He's looking my way with a look in his eyes as he straightens his tie. It's almost as if he's hopeful. Hoping for what? I can't even imagine.

"Stalking me?" I ask him, flirting slightly.

He smiles at me. His smile completely disarms me. "You never know who you'll meet in a bookstore." He says, cocking his eyebrow at me. Is he flirting with me?

"That's true. Some curious people hang out there." I say to him, flirting even more. I have to tone this down. I'm a married woman. I change the subject. "Is Dr. Flynn ready for me?"

"He is. You can go right in." Gray Eyes stands up and walks to the office door in front of me. He opens the door and announces me to Dr. Flynn. "Annie is here, Dr. Flynn."

"Thanks." Dr. Flynn stands up from behind his desk and walks around.

Gray Eyes closes the door behind me, leaving us alone. Dr. Flynn sits down on his chair, and then directs me to sit on the couch. "Hello, Dr. Flynn."

"Hi, Annie. How are you doing today?" he asks.

"Good, all things being considered."

"Meaning, your amnesia?" he asks me.

I nod. "That, and the fact that I'm pregnant." I break the news.

Dr. Flynn doesn't even flinch. I guess he's heard it all by now. "How do you feel about that? Have you told your husband?"

"I'm not sure how I feel, other than nauseous. I get the feeling that my husband didn't want children, even though he told me that he did. I haven't told him yet."

"Might I suggest that you wait to tell him?"

"That might be wise, given our current state."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, he's in Fuji on business, and I don't really want to tell him over the phone."

"Fuji?" Dr. Flynn asks. He seems surprised by this news.

"He travels the globe looking for businesses that we can open here, to help the people out here."

"I see." Dr. Flynn says.

Somehow, I get the feeling that Dr. Flynn doesn't believe me.

"Have you tried any of the suggestions that I made yesterday?"

"I did. I went to the bookstore to do some research. The only thing I saw that was familiar was your receptionist. That didn't help me at all."

Dr. Flynn chuckles. "He told me about your encounter."

I laugh. "Don't tell me he needs therapy too now? I probably scarred him for life the way I darted to the bathroom in record time."

Dr. Flynn laughs again. "There's not much he hasn't seen. He's been with me for years."

Dr. Flynn quits laughing and turns serious on me. "Have you had any memories whatsoever?"

"No, well one. I remembered a college paper that I'd done, thanks to your receptionist."

"Interesting."

"But I don't remember what college I attended. It's so frustrating."

"Annie, I really think your memory will come back in time. Keep surrounding yourself with anything or anyone who triggers any kind of a memory. Take lots of time to yourself, and remember to take care of yourself. You've got a baby to think about now."

"Thanks, Dr. Flynn." I tell him as I stand up. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." He says, standing up and getting the door for me.

I walk out to see Gray Eyes standing in front of his desk. He's watching me walk out. I smile at him. "I'll be seeing you again, tomorrow." I flirt with him. Geesh, why can't I quit flirting with this guy?

"I'll walk you out. I have to pick up some supplies for Dr. Flynn." He says, and then walks toward the elevator with me. He punches the call button. "How was your session today?"

"Fabulous." I answer him. "And confidential."

"I wasn't prying." He tosses me a quick smile as he steps on the elevator and holds the door open for me.

I step inside the elevator, leaning against the opposite wall from him. He pushes the button for the first floor. "Office supplies?" I ask him.

He nods as he gazes into my eyes. What is with this guy? Surely he knows that I'm married. I gaze back at him. I don't know if it's hormones or what, but the heat level has risen in the elevator a few degrees. His gray eyes are smoldering. I can read him like a book. He is aroused. By me. And, it's turning me on. No it's lighting me on fire. I can tell what he's thinking simply by looking in his eyes. He doesn't break our gaze. I step toward him. He doesn't move. He doesn't break our gaze, our carnal connection. I step right in front of him, and look up at him. He's taller than Jack. He smells so good. I can't help myself any longer. I reach up and loosen his tie. He doesn't stop me. I unbutton his white linen shirt and open it up. He takes a deep breath.

I push my lips against his, then he claims my mouth, our teeth are clashing and our tongues are tangling. I can't get enough of his taste. I want so much more. I can't stop myself. I feel his arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to his body. I can't catch my breath. I can feel his erection against my stomach. I know this is wrong, but it feels so right. I pull back, breaking our lips apart. I look down at his chest. Holy shit! I pull his shirt open further. Scars on his chest. Small white circles. I gasp.

"Cigarette burns?" I whisper to him.

He nods in surprise. I can read his face. He's wondering how I knew that. How did I know that? My nightmare was a reality. The little boy being tortured relentlessly was him. It was Gray Eyes. Had I seen it? Did I see this horrific atrocity? "When you were a little boy." I whisper.

He nods again, almost completely frozen. "Ana?" he asks with hope in his voice.

Ana? Why can't he get my name right? I feel the elevator stop on the first floor. The doors open. I pull his shirt together to hide his chest from the people about to step on the elevator. "It's Annie." I tell him.

He looks at me, dumbfounded as if he isn't sure what to do next. Three people step on the elevator. He stays on the elevator, motionless. I step off into the lobby and turn back to look at him. He's still staring at me as the doors close in front of him. Could this day get any more confusing?

Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you think. I've never done fan fiction before.

I also write as Autumn Brown on Siren Bookstrand and Amazon if you'd like to take a look at my first two published books.


	5. Fifty Shades Forgotten Chapter 5

Fifty Shades Forgotten.

Christian's POV.

I step off of the elevator and stop as the door closes behind me. Taylor steps up from his chair, where he'd been hiding. He has a worried look on his face. He walks over to me.

"Mr. Grey? Are you OK? Have you been assaulted?" he asks me.

I shake my head. I can't get a grip. I can't speak. What just happened?

"Come and sit down." John says to me as he leads me to my office chair behind the desk. He helps me sit down as if I'm a helpless child. I look up at him, but no words come out of my mouth.

"Are you OK, sir?" Taylor asks me again.

I nod. "She remembered my scars. She remembered where they came from. But she didn't remember me." I tell them. How can she not remember me? I realize that my shirt is unbuttoned, so I start buttoning it, one button at a time. Slowly. It gives me something to do with my hands, while I think about this.

"Memories are a funny thing, Christian. They don't come back all at once. Sometimes, it's a tiny piece of the puzzle, one at a time. But the good news is that it's coming back. Did you tell her who you were?"

I shake my head. "No. I was too shocked. I just came back up." I tell him.

"Our guy is following Ana again, sir. He thinks she headed back to Jack's house again." Taylor fills me in, after he checks his messages on his phone.

I nod to him. "This is so frustrating. I don't know how much longer I can hold out. She knows she's pregnant now, and I can't tell her that it's my baby she's carrying."

"Let's give it a little longer, Christian. She'll be back in tomorrow. Let's see how she reacts to you after your incident in the elevator."

I nod again. "Let me know if anything major happens, Taylor. I need to go back to the hotel and take a nap."

I'm exhausted as I step inside the car. Taylor drives me back to the hotel and escorts me up to my room. "Thanks, Taylor. Again."

"You're welcome, sir. Everything will turn out alright. I just know it." Taylor lets me in my room after he's checked it out. "Can I get you anything, sir?"

I shake my head. Taylor leaves me and goes to his own room, which is adjoined to mine. I lie down on the bed. I wonder how long this will continue. Will I be able to attend my child's birth? How much more can I take? I've been into delayed gratification in the past, but this is ridiculous.

I haven't worked out since I've lost Ana. The lack of exercise has taken its toll on me. I'll have to remedy that soon. Maybe Taylor and I can find a gym tomorrow. I'm sure he's aching to work out as well. Maybe a jog will do us some good.

The minute I lay my head down on the pillow, I fall asleep. It's been so long since I've actually slept well. My health is declining, I'm sure, with the lack of sleep and the lack of exercise. I can feel myself drifting off into the nightmare stage of sleep. I can't stop it. Even though I try to wake up, I can't force myself awake.

"Mommy, wake up." I tell my birth mother. She's on the floor again. I don't know why she doesn't sleep on the couch or in the bed. I rub her hair to help her wake up.

"That's nice, sweetie. Do Mommy's hair. Make her pretty." She whispers to me. Her words aren't clear. She doesn't speak too well when she's sleepy like this.

"I will, Mommy." I jump up and run to get a brush and a bread tie from our last loaf of bread. It's been gone days ago now. I save the ties for Mommy's hair. I brush Mommy's hair all back into a pony tail, then I braid it. I tie it really pretty with a bread tie. "You're all pretty now, Mommy."

"Thanks, sweetie. You're the best little boy in the world." She says to me. I can tell she's sleepy still. I stroke her shoulders until she goes back to sleep.

Suddenly I hear a knock on our front door. It's a loud knock. I know who it is. It's George. He's really mean to Mommy, and to me. I don't like it when he comes over. I don't like him. I try to wake Mommy up, but she won't open her eyes. I hide in the closet under some dirty clothes. I make myself really small so George can't find me. I hear the front door break open. I try to hold my breath while I close my eyes.

"Damn it. What the fuck! Not again, Ella!" George yells. He's really mad again. "We can't make any money like this."

I hear George throwing things around. "Did you lose your kid, too? Damn, Ella. Can't you do anything right?"

I keep quiet and keep hidden. It's dark and smells funny in the closet, but it's safe here. George never finds me in here. I just have to stay until I don't hear George any more. I sit really still. Then I hear George come into the bedroom. He's throwing things around. I think he's looking for something.

"Where the hell did you put them, Ella?" he yells to my mommy.

I hear my mommy say something. Then I hear George open the closet door. I hold really still hoping he won't find me. He hasn't come this close before. He kicks the clothes on top of me, and kicks me in the head. "Ouch!" I say, then grab my mouth.

"You're still here." George says, then laughs. He picks me up by my shirt and holds me close to the closet bar really high. "I wonder if I could trade you for something useful somehow."

"No, George." I hear my mommy yell out. "He stays with me."

"Why? You're useless as a whore, and you're useless as a mother. He'd be better off in a home. This poor kid will never amount to anything with you watching over him, Ella."

I'm so scared that I almost pee in my pants. I know George is about to start hitting me. He always hits Mommy, then he hits me. He slams me up against the wall, and twists me into the wall. It hurts really bad. I yell out. "Mommy!" I know she won't come help me, but I yell still.

Then out of nowhere, I see my mommy jump on George's back. She hits him and hits him until he throws me on the bed. He starts hitting Mommy then, and pushes her to the floor. He's on top of her hitting her again and again. I jump on top of him and start hitting him. "Don't hit my Mommy!" I yell. I hit him so hard that my hand hurts.

He throws me off of him. I land against the wall. It hurts my arm. I scream out to my mommy. She's kicking George. He gets up and kicks her. She screams, then starts crying.

"That's it, Ella! You're fired. Don't come around asking for any more tricks. I won't ever be desperate enough to hire you again." George yells out, then he leaves.

I run to my mommy and rub her arm. She's crying really hard. "Mommy, are you OK?"

She sits up and pulls me close to her. "Christian, I'm so sorry." She's crying hard still.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight. "My arm hurts, Mommy." I tell her.

"I know, baby. Always remember that Mommy loves you. No matter what." She says.

"I will." I tell her, then sit on her lap.

She hugs me tightly. She's still crying, but quietly. "Go get me some of my special medicine from behind the toilet." She says.

"OK, Mommy." I tell her. I jump up and run to the bathroom. Mommy keeps her special medicine in a bread bag behind the toilet. It always makes her feel really good, then she goes to sleep. I bring her back the bag and hand it to her. I wait for her to take two, and give me the bag back. I watch her take a lot of them. I can't even count that high. She hands me the bag, but it's empty. I lay it down on the bed so we can use it for something else now.

"Mommy's hurt too." She says quietly, then lies back down on the floor by the bed.

I give her our pillow that we share. She puts it under her head and closes her eyes. "Goodnight, Mommy." I tell her.

She pulls me down beside her, so we can go to sleep together. "Mommy wants you to grow up and be an important man someday. You're going to make me so proud, Christian. Always remember that Mommy loves you." She says, then she closes her eyes.

"I will, Mommy." I tell her. I know she's going to be asleep for a long time.

I watch the dream unfold. I've never dreamed this dream before. This is the first time I've ever recalled my mother's last lucid words to me. Right after that, I spent the next several days trying to wake her up. She never woke up. Oh god! It hits me like a ton of bricks. I yell out a primal scream. I wake myself up and sit straight up in bed. I'm covered in sweat. The nightmares have started again. Ana isn't here to stop them. Why now?

Taylor bursts into my room with his gun drawn. He's in his underwear and wife beater T-shirt. He looks all around the room. He looks at me, then realizes what's just happened. "Are you OK, sir?"

I nod my head. It's difficult to speak after these nightmares. I'm disoriented still. It was a nightmare. It was a memory from my childhood. It was the last memory of my mother when she was alive.

"You haven't had a nightmare in quite a while, sir."

I nod my head again. "She loved me." I say.

"She still loves you, sir. She's just having trouble remembering it." Taylor says to me. Where is his optimism coming from?

"My mother. She loved me." I say, more to myself than to Taylor. "I think she killed herself because she thought I'd be better off without her."

"Do you need me to call Dr. Flynn, sir?" Taylor sits on the foot of my bed easily so as not to jostle me.

I shake my head. "I'm finally gaining some clarity, Taylor. Maybe it's the baby coming that's making me see things from a new perspective."

"Children tend to that, sir. My daughter changed my life and my entire outlook. After my tours of duty, I felt like I didn't have a reason to go on, then I had her. She gave my life meaning again."

"You haven't seen her in a while. After this is over, you need to take her to Disneyworld. On me. Spare no expenses."

"Thank you, sir." Taylor says gratefully as he steps up off of my bed. He never shows much emotion, but I tend to see a little more when I talk about his daughter. We're a lot alike in that respect.

"And, Taylor…" I start.

"Yes, sir?" he asks as he turns back toward me.

"Tomorrow, we're going for a run. Then we're going to find a gym."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says, then goes back to his room.

End of this chapter.

This one just sort of poured out of me. I wanted so badly to kind of redo his mother's death. I didn't want her to just be a druggie who overdosed and didn't give a shit about her kid. I wanted to give her more feeling, more reason behind what she was doing, and what she did. I hope I did that with this chapter. I thought it was a great place to throw it in. And I like seeing Taylor as more emotional, and optimistic, and a father.

Another chapter is coming soon. As soon as I think of it. Thanks so much for all the reviews. They're greatly appreciated.

If you'd like to read any of my published books, they're on Amazon now. I write under the name of Autumn Brown. I just put one out today, as a mater of fact. It's a high school romance, but pretty racy. No S&M though! I even did the cover myself. Tell me what you think of the cover and the first chapter if you look at it.

Again, thanks for reading. And thanks to all of you who review.


	6. Chapter 6

Fifty Shades Forgotten

Oh my! What have I done? I almost cheated on my husband. How could I be such a slut? In my defense, he is incredibly good looking. Plus, he was making it way too easy for me. Why am I so attracted to the receptionist? I'm a married woman for goodness sake. And why was I dreaming about him? About his childhood? It hits me like a truck load of bricks. I was having an affair with this guy. That's how I know his childhood trauma. That's why he's constantly staring at me, and flirting with me. Oh no. If I was having an affair with him, how do I know who this baby belongs to? Damn. I am a slut.

I'm so glad that Jack is still gone on business. I'm not sure what he's doing in Fuji, but he hasn't called very often. I wonder if he's always been aloof and elusive. He's called twice since he left a week ago. Maybe that's why I cheated on him. He's never home. I wish that I had a best friend that I could share my feelings with. Surely I had a best friend, or a group of friends.

"Fran, did I, or do I, have a best friend?" I ask Fran as I help her put away the groceries we've just purchased.

"Me." she says quickly. She's in a playful mood today.

"Besides you." I spell out for her.

"No, not really. You have always been somewhat of a loner." Fran explains to me.

I'm so glad that I have her to remind me of my past. "How about family? Any sisters, brothers, or parents?"

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to be telling you these things." Fran says.

"Why not?" I ask her.

"Because you should remember these things on your own, in your own time. Don't force it. That's what your husband told me that the doctor told him."

"Oh." I say quickly. Hmm. So Jack is keeping up with my therapy. He seems like a stalker. If I didn't know how much he loved me, I'd insist that he get professional help for his stalker tendencies.

I try to help Fran in the kitchen but my mind keeps wandering. If I had an affair with Gray Eyes, then he'd be able to help me out with the holes in my past. I should go see him. I pull out my cell phone and call the doctor's office. I know he'll answer the phone.

"Dr. Flynn's office. How can I help you?" he answers. His voice is so smooth that it disarms me.

"Hi." I say to him. I can't find any other words.

"Hi." He says in that same smooth soft voice. I can feel why I had an affair with him. I can tell that this guy can be very persuasive.

"Can we meet somewhere? I want to talk." I tell him.

"Tell me where and when." He says quickly. Relief is filling his voice as if he'd been waiting for this moment.

"Thirty minutes at the little coffee shop on the corner on your street." I tell him.

"I'll be there." He hangs up the phone.

I tell Fran that I'm going out for a bit, then I walk into the garage and look at the cars there. Damn, we have nice taste in cars. There are several sports cars. I decide to drive a little yellow Corvette to the coffee shop. I find the keys on the wall and drive off. It feels good to drive again. I can't remember the last time I've driven. Of course, I can't remember much of anything. So it's a moot point.

I park the car and walk into the coffee shop. I immediately spot Gray Eyes. He's standing at the bar, waiting on me. He looks so good in his suit with his white linen shirt. He smiles at me, then walks toward me.

"I've found us a table. I assume you want to talk here." He directs me toward the table that he's reserved for us. "How are you? You don't look as if you've eaten in days, Ana."

There's that name again. It's starting to grow on me. Especially coming from him.

"I've eaten. It just hasn't stayed down." I tell him as I sit in the chair opposite of him at the little table in the corner of the coffee shop. It's surprisingly quiet here.

"So, you wanted to talk?" he asks me. He seems like a very impatient man. He puts his hands on the table.

"I know you, or knew you. Is that right?" I ask him. I stare into his eyes. I want to see if he flinches when I ask him the question that's been burning in my mind.

He doesn't flinch. He simply nods his head, affirming my suspicions.

"We were having an affair." I state flatly as I watch him for any signs.

He nods again. He's not very forthcoming with the information that I desperately need right now. It's pissing me off. Why can't he help me out here?

"Did you want children?" I ask him. I have to find out if this is the funny feeling I get when I think about telling Jack about this baby.

"I didn't." he says quickly. "But I do now. I want this baby."

I gasp. "Is it yours?" I ask the most important question.

He nods his head and holds his hand out to me on the table. I take it. "What are we going to do?" I ask him. What the hell have I done? Did I hate my husband so much that I had an affair with the first receptionist that would have me?

"You tell me. If you'll agree, I'll take you away right now. Anywhere you want to go." He offers. I can see hope in his eyes. He's hoping that I'll toss everything to the wind and run away with him.

"I can't. I barely know you. And I still don't remember your name." I tell him.

"Christian." He says easily. "Do you remember anything at all about me, Ana?"

"No. Not really. I definitely feel an attraction to you. I don't have that with my husband." I tell him. I stare at him, trying to find any feature on his face that rings a bell for me. I look down at his shirt. White linen. He rarely wears anything else. A gray suit. He wears those a lot too. Are those memories? Or just observations? He looks like the type who doesn't like to have much fun. Very rigid in his ways. Doesn't venture off the beaten path too far.

"How did you know about my scars?" he asks. "You knew they were cigarette burns."

"I had a dream about a little boy hiding from a man that abused him horribly." I admit to him. It seems that his entire demeanor has changed, as if he's remembering the terrible ordeal. "Was that your father?"

"No. I never knew who my father was." his eyes are darker, deeper, with more sadness radiating from them.

"Who was he? Who did that to you?" I ask him. I know I'm asking him to open old wounds, but I somehow feel that this is key to my memory returning. I dig deeper. I squeeze his hand.

"He was my mother's pimp." He says, watching my face closely. He's scared I'm going to be shocked. He's worried that I'm going to run out of here screaming. I can tell by the anxious look on his face.

"She was pretty with long brown hair. You used to braid it." I say, as I somehow recall a memory of a picture that I was shown long ago, mixed with a confession from this guy, maybe. The memory is hazy as it surfaces. "You used to braid mine."

He smiles at me. "You're remembering." He's ecstatic at the realization that my memory is coming back.

Things are beginning to fit together. The memories are frightening me as they flood my senses. I remember being spanked, and crying. I remember the pain and the humiliation. Was this the man with the whip in my dreams? Is he the man who kidnapped me? Because I looked like his mother?

"I need to go." I say abruptly then step up.

"Ana." His gaze seers me as he tightens his grip on my hand. "Please don't go. Let's talk. I want to help you regain your memory."

I jerk my hand away from his. I'm prepared to scream if necessary. "Do you now? You want me to remember the horrible things you did to me? You beat me, tied me up, humiliated me, and cuffed me. All because I look like your mother." I preach to him.

His face fills with shock, then he frowns. "You're not remembering the whole story, Ana. Sit down, let's talk." His voice is commanding. He expects me to listen and obey. Like that would ever happen!

"That's all I want to remember, Christian. Maybe there's a reason I've chosen to forget our past." I walk toward the door. I'm not sure if he's dangerous, but I can't take a chance.

I hear him following me out the door. I stop and turn around toward him. I figure it's safer inside with all these people than it is outside.

"Ana. I'll tell you anything you want to know." He offers. It's a plea. He's bargaining with me. His face is determined, but he knows I can walk away at any minute, and that thought scares him. He holds out his hand for me to take.

I don't take his hand. He drops his hands to his side.

"Why did you kidnap me?" I ask him point blank.

His mouth drops open. He's gaping at me. "I…I didn't." he mumbles.

He didn't? Am I supposed to believe that? He's radiating a deep silence, brooding about what I've said. He's wrestling with something in his mind.

"I remember whips and cuffs." I state. "Am I remembering you or someone else doing that to me?"

"It was me." he admits finally, as if he's unsure he wants to be honest.

"It was nice knowing you, Christian." I say, then turn around toward the door. I almost make it to the door, when Christian grabs my waist from behind.

"Ana, please let's talk, or at least listen to what I have to say. I want to tell you everything, but Dr. Flynn told me that wouldn't be best for you. It might even hurt you." He begs, as he presses his cheek against mine.

"You obviously don't have a problem with hurting me, Christian." I snap at him, then look up at him. I see a man who is desperate but vulnerable. He wants to tell me something, but he's holding back.

"I love you, Ana." He whispers to me with great relief in his voice. It pains him to be separated from me. I can feel it. I can feel his pain. His mouth closes in on mine. He kisses me long and hard, leaving me breathless. I can't pull my lips away from his. I melt into him. I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck. I feel like I belong with this guy. I don't understand it. I don't know what's happening to my body, or my heart, but I belong with this man.

He stops kissing me but continues to hold my face in his hands. He stills his face directly in front of mine, smiling at me. He's so damn sexy, so beautiful, and delicious looking.

"You love me?" I ask him. Something inside me is hoping like a little girl for love and approval, desperately needing him to say it again.

He smiles, as he stands above me, looking down into my face. "More than I thought humanly possible, Ana. You're my world. My reason for living, Ana. You've brought daylight into my darkness."

Oh that feels good. I feel my entire body warming up. It's so comforting to feel this kind of love. "Darkness?" I ask him.

"I was lost until you loved me." he says to me, wrapping his arms around my waist tighter.

His words are my undoing. I'm overjoyed to know that I had something special with this man. I know it is wrong, but I know that I loved this man, and I know that I love him now. Before I know it, my hands are tangled in his hair and my body is pressed against his. This feels so familiar. I can feel his erection against my stomach as I press my lips against his. Everything south of my stomach constricts until I can't bear it any longer. I push against him. My desire to be near him won't be denied. He kisses me with force. He's so enticing. I want to be closer to him.

"Do you have somewhere we can go?" I ask him, barely able to breathe. I want to be naked in a hotel room with him. I want it all with this man.

He smiles. "How about my hotel suite?"

Did he say suite? He's a receptionist for goodness sake. Dr. Flynn must pay him well. Who am I kidding? Even on a generous salary, he wouldn't be able to afford to give me everything that Jack has given me. Maybe that's why I haven't left Jack. Maybe I'm the type of girl who marries for money, then gets love and excitement elsewhere. Somehow that doesn't feel right either. It doesn't feel like me. It's so frustrating not knowing who I am, or what kind of person I was. "Let's go." I tell him.

He takes my hand in his, and walks me a few blocks to a very nice hotel. We step on the elevator and Christian presses the button for the top floor. I can feel the sparks flying between us as soon as the elevator door closes. He reaches for me. His touch sends shivers throughout my entire body. I will myself to wait for the elevator to reach his floor. It's all I can do not to drop to my knees, and pull him down with me.

He gazes at me, then he pulls out his Blackberry. That's a little rude.

"Who are you calling?" I ask him.

"I'm telling Dr. Flynn that I won't be back this afternoon." He says, then smiles at me. He has a boyish smile that makes me feel like a young girl for some reason. He puts his Blackberry inside his jacket pocket after he finishes texting Dr. Flynn.

I reach up and kiss him. I can't resist his charms any longer. His lips are fierce and needy. He runs his hands up my back, under my blouse. Skin on skin contact. What could be better than that? His touch is too much. My skin is flaming where he touches me. I feel like it's been forever since I've touched a man. Why didn't I want this with Jack, my husband?

The elevator stops on our floor. Christian ushers me off of the elevator. I'm dizzy from the panting. He snakes his arm around my waist to steady me, as we walk down the corridor. Man, this is a nice hotel. Christian is happy. There's no hiding it. He's grinning from ear to ear. I'm ecstatic to know that I'm the one who has made him this happy.

Christian uses his key card to open the door to his room. He pulls me inside the room gently. Should I be doing this? He stops just inside the door. "I won't force you, Ana." He says to me.

I look up at him and smile. "No one is forcing me. I want this, Christian. I'm not sure why, but I know I want it."

He holds out his hand for me. I take it this time. He leads me to the bedroom. This is a really nice suite. I'm prepared to see a massive, luxurious bed. Holy shit! My worlds just collided. Next to the bed, I see my friend, Taylor. He's tied to a chair, and gagged. He's out cold. Standing next to Taylor with a gun in his hand, is my husband, Jack. This is not good. I freeze, unable to move. I'm not sure what to do. Christian's eyes darken. I don't think I've ever seen a man this outraged before, but somehow it looks familiar.

* * *

Yes, I know…another cliff hanger. I'm going to have to think about this one. Which way to go here….decisions, decisions. I love writing! Thanks everyone for reading, and please review. That's how I know if you like it or not.

And…

I'm offering my book, Heaven or Cell, on Amazon for FREE, for 3 days only. If you're looking for a quick, supernatural romance, this is the one.

Heaven-or-Cell-ebook/dp/B006F5T45G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345943447&sr=8-2&keywords=autumn+brown

Thanks everyone!

I've also started a facebook page. It's kind of sad right now, since I just started it this morning. I'm open to suggestions and would love for anyone to come over and LIKE my page.

pages/Autumn-Brown/341840409237255


	7. Chapter 7

Fifty Shades Forgotten.

Christian's POV.

Holy shit! It's Jack, and he has a gun. How in the hell did he elude us? And, how did he find us? This guy must be smarter than I gave him credit for. I don't usually underestimate people. I step in front of Ana in protection mode. I don't want her or the baby to be in the direct line of fire. There's no telling what's going to happen here. I don't like not being in control in any situation, but especially this one. I fight the overwhelming urge to attack Jack. I know it would stupid to rush a man with a gun, especially an insane man. My temper is boiling.

"Jack." I say calmly to him.

"Christian." He says calmly back to me, with an evil grin accompanying his words.

"You two know each other?" Ana asks from behind me.

Jack looks at me, confused for a second, then he laughs. "Yes, we know each other." He's caught onto the fact that Ana still hasn't regained her memory.

"Jack is an old colleague." I say to Ana, as I glare at Jack.

"Jack, this is not what it looks like." Ana steps around me. "OK. Maybe it is, but why did you hit Taylor? I wasn't seeing him. Did you think I was seeing him?"

"No." Jack laughs at her. He's amused by the situation.

I put my arm in front of Ana, and push her back behind me. "Ana, let us take care of this." I order her.

That doesn't go over too well. She steps from behind me again. She certainly hasn't lost any of her stubbornness with her memory. "I'll take care of this, Christian." She insists.

"Ana. No! He has a gun." I yell to her. "For once in your life, listen to me."

She looks at me totally shocked, appalled that I would speak to her that way. Then she looks at Jack. "Jack, I'm sorry. If you let everyone go, I'll go back home with you, and forget I ever met Christian." She says sweetly to Jack.

Jack ponders her proposition.

"Ana. No! No way in hell are you leaving with this mad man. I won't allow that." I yell to her, before I realize what I'm saying.

"He won't hurt anyone if I leave with him quietly, Christian. I think Taylor might need medical attention." She explains.

"He'll be fine. I slipped a few sleeping pills in his coffee when he wasn't looking, then I clobbered him over the head. No big deal."

"He's bleeding." Ana says as she steps over closer toward Taylor.

I try to inch closer to Taylor as well, trying not to let Jack see me.

"Ana, stop. He'll shoot you." I yell to her.

She turns around to look at me. "No, he won't. He's my husband. He loves me." she says easily.

Could she be that naïve? Husbands shoot wives all the time. Has she lost more than her memory with that bump on the head? She walks closer to Taylor, then reaches out and examines his head.

"Is he OK?" I ask her. I can't believe my best bodyguard is out of commission when I need him most.

"He'll need a few stitches." Ana says to me.

I hear Taylor grumble and groan. Thank goodness he's still alive and waking up. He opens his eyes, and looks around. His eyes grow wide in shock. He's just realized where he is and what is happening. "Shit!" he says dryly.

"It's OK, Taylor. Jack's not going to hurt anyone." Ana says.

"I'm not buying that." I say to Taylor.

Taylor looks at me. "I'm sorry, boss. I don't know how he got the jump on me. Or how he arrived undetected."

"Bus. Cash all the way." Jack says proudly. He's overflowing with pride in the fact that he's outsmarted us. It pisses me off.

"Let Ana go. We'll stay." I say to Jack, bartering with him for the two lives that are the most important to me at the moment.

"I'm not sure which one I want more right now, Christian." Jack says, then makes believe that he's debating. "Hmm. Make you agonize for the rest of your life over the death of your first true love, or make you wonder what I'm doing to her for the rest of your life. The choice is mine, really. Isn't it?"

"You won't be walking out that door either way, Jack." I threaten him. I walk closer to him, daring him to take action. I'm not sure which way this is going to go. I have my hands raised in the air.

"Want to bet?" he asks me snidely, then suddenly he grabs Ana by her waist and pulls her to his body. She struggles for a second, then relaxes. She's decided not to fight him.

I freeze in my tracks. I know I can't outrun a bullet. "Please don't hurt her, Jack." I'm begging. It's probably the first time in my life since I was a little boy, begging my Mom's pimp to stop hitting me. I feel weak, but I'll do anything to save my wife and child.

Jack laughs. He's taking great pleasure in my agony. "Oh, the great Christian Grey. Oh how the mighty have fallen." He mocks me.

I'm so mad that I could spit nails, but I can't give in to the anger. "Please, Jack." I beg again.

"Jack, I'm pregnant." Ana says. "Remember we wanted a baby. We're going to have one. I came here tonight to tell Christian the news, that I was going to be faithful to you, so we could raise our baby together."

Oh shit! I wish she wouldn't have told him that. Now he knows he has more leverage than he will ever need to make me do anything he wants, not that he didn't have it already. I watch as Jack's mouth falls open, then he shakes his head. "This is too easy. Two for the price of one!" He smiles, then pushes the gun up to Ana's head.

I run toward him. I've lost all control, and all reason. Just as I'm about to reach him, I see that Ana has grabbed his neck with both hands, and is bending over. Jack flips over her shoulder, landing on the floor in front of her. I hear the gun go off. I'm not sure who has been shot. Please don't let it be Ana. I see Taylor stomp both feet onto Jack's legs. He's attempting to hold him down. I jump on top of Jack and begin punching his face repeatedly. I look up to see that Ana is fine. She's rushing to untie Taylor's hands. I continue punching Jack. He's yelling out in pain, not making sense with his words.

I feel Taylor tap me on the shoulder. "Sir, if I may." He says firmly.

I step off of Jack, and he attempts to roll over to protect himself better. I see that his leg is bleeding profusely. Taylor lifts him to standing position with one hand gripping his shirt, the he punches him in the stomach hard. Jack yells out, then doubles over. Taylor lifts him again, then punches him in the face, hard.

I look Ana up and down to make sure she's OK. I don't see any blood. "Are you OK?" I ask her.

She nods her head up and down quickly, unable to take her eyes off of Taylor. She's in shock still.

"Where did you learn that trick?" I ask her, trying to distract her.

"My dad?" she asks me, as is she's unsure. "Ray?" she mumbles the question out.

Holy shit! She's remembered her dad. I'm ecstatic to say the least. "Yes, your step dad." I answer her.

Jack continues to resist Taylor. He is not relinquishing control. "I've been shot. I need a doctor." Jack yells out to us.

Taylor ignores him and slugs him again.

Ana screams. "Stop, Taylor . He's my husband."

Taylor looks at me, confused. I shrug my shoulders. I'm not sure what to do.

"Ana, he was going to kill you." I explain to her, as if she's a small child. Surely she understands what has just happened.

Jack laughs, and spits blood. He's enjoying the moment. "She's my wife, Christian. In every sense of the word. She's carrying my baby."

I know he's lying. But, is he trying to tell me that he's slept with her? That would kill me. "That baby is mine, Jack. Blip is mine."

Ana jerks her head toward me. Her mouth falls open in surprise, and her hand falls to her stomach. She gives me a quizzical look. "Little Blip. You _really_ didn't want this baby. I remember now." Her face falls and fills with disappointment. She's hurt. Tears are filling her eyes and starting to spill.

I put my arms around her and try to pull her close, but she resists. She pushes me away, and bites her lip to keep herself from bursting into tears.

About that time, I hear Taylor yell out to me. I turn around to see Jack coming at me with his fist. I block it, and throw him to the ground in a body slam. Taylor jumps on top of him. He pulls Jack's arms behind him. He grabs the lamp from the bedside table, and yanks it to himself, pulling the plug from the wall. He wraps the cord around Jack's wrists to bind them together. Jack is lying face down, with a lamp on his ass.

Taylor steps up. I look over to see Ana running out the door.

"Ana, stop. Wait!" I call out to her as I run toward the door after her.

"Christian." I hear Taylor's voice call to me in a really loud whisper, in desperation.

I turn around to see Taylor fall to the floor. He's passing out. I run toward him just in time to keep his head from bouncing on the floor. "Taylor?"

There's no answer. I can't leave Taylor. I can't leave Jack. I have to let Ana go. I'll find her later. Surely she'll be OK since Jack is here with me. I assume she will go back to Jack's house. I'll collect her later. I pull out my cell phone and call the front desk. I ask them to get a doctor up here immediately.

An hour later, Taylor regains consciousness just as the doctor ties his stitches closed. He groans in pain. He looks up at me. "I'm sorry, sir."

"You're sorry?" I ask him. What does he have to be sorry about? Great! Someone else with a head injury!

"I know I owe you more than an apology, sir. I'll collect my things and be on the first bus back to the states." He says as he tries to get up from the bed.

It hits me that Taylor is reeling from his recent perceived failure. He's a diehard military man. Failure is not an option for him. He's kicking himself for being drugged. I know there was nothing he could do.

"Taylor, you aren't going anywhere just yet. You have a head injury. You need to rest and heal. And if you're going to resign, I'd appreciate a proper two week's notice, and a chance to counter any offer you might have with another company. Until then, I consider you part of the family, Taylor."

"But..." Taylor starts, then hesitates. "I really fucked up this time. He must have drugged my coffee in the coffee shop. I should never have been caught off guard like that, and he made it back to Mexico without me knowing a thing."

"None of that was your fault, Taylor. I don't expect you to be superhuman, just be by my side and protect me and my family when possible."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says as he sits up completely. He's still feeling weak. He's wobbling a little.

"Lie down, Taylor. Get some rest. I'll have one of the guys take Jack back to Washington where he'll receive the maximum penalty. Then I and one of the other guys will track Ana down. You can join us when you're feeling better, Taylor."

Jack is lying on the floor, knocked out cold, thanks to the doctor's injection. Taylor looks at him, and then shakes his head. He's still having difficulty believing that Jack got the better of him. He got the upper hand on both of us.

"Did she go back to Jack's?" Taylor asks.

"I thought she would, but so far, she hasn't shown up there. We're looking for her again. We'll find her, Taylor. I've got Jack's house staked out, and the guys are doing everything they can to search the city."

"As soon as I'm able, sir, I'm all in." Taylor assures me. He all but salutes me.

That's it for this chapter. I'm planning one right now from Ana's POV, from wherever she went. I won't give it away here. This isn't nearly the cliff hanger I left everyone with the other day. I'll get to the next chapter in the next week. I'm working on my future published book for a few days. I love this fan fiction stuff. I'm so glad you are reading it and liking it. Please review and let me know how you feel. I'm loving all the suggestions, and the comments.

I'm offering my book, Heaven or Cell, on Amazon for FREE, for 3 days only. If you're looking for a quick, supernatural romance, this is the one. It's written under my pen name of Autumn Brown. Take a peek at my other books, too. If you like erotic romance with a feel good ending, then my book, General Rule, is a good one, if I say so myself. Trying to be funny here.

Thanks everyone!

I've also started a Facebook page. It's kind of sad right now, since I just started it yesterday. I'm open to suggestions and would love for anyone to come over and LIKE my page.

.com /pages/Autumn-Brown/341840409237255


	8. Chapter 8

Ana's POV.

What the hell just happened? My whole life had just been turned upside down in a matter of minutes. The man I thought was my husband had just held a gun on me. The man that I loved turned out to be my husband, who didn't want the baby I was carrying. I am so confused. I had no choice except to run. I have to sort everything out. I know I want this baby. I won't give it up. And I won't be forcing this baby on a man who doesn't want it as much as I do.

I drive in the little yellow Corvette. I checked the registration to be sure I wasn't stealing it. It had Jack's name on it. Was it legally mine? Or was I actually stealing it, even though I thought we were married? A person could wrap themselves in circles thinking about this. Self pity plagued me. I wish that I had a family to run to. Dad. I had remembered my dad, Ray. I racked my brain. Did I remember where he lived? Or what his last name was? Yes, I think I did. I head in the direction of Seattle. It will take me days to get there, but I need the time to think.

Days later, I pull into Ray's driveway. I don't know what to expect. I wonder if I'll recognize him. I wonder if he thinks I'm dead. I step out of the car and walk to his front door. I hope he still lives here. I hope I've remembered it right. I gather up my courage and knock on the front door. I wait for a few minutes, then knock again. Finally I hear the doorknob turn. It's Ray. My dad. My heart leaps. He's the first person I've recognized since I've woken up in the hospital. I leap for him, almost knocking him over.

"Annie!" he cries out, wrapping his arms around me. I can tell he's not comfortable with displays of affection, but he holds me tightly anyway.

"Dad!" I start to cry. I can't help myself. I blame the hormones.

"Come inside. How did you get here? Christian said you were in Mexico." Ray says, as he pulls me inside and closes the door.

I'm ecstatic that I have found someone that I can trust completely who I actually remember. It's a feeling like no other. "Oh, Dad! I'm so lost. I need help. You're the only person who I've remembered."

"Your mom will be happy to hear that, Annie." Ray says snidely, but joking with me.

Several visions, or memories, hit me all at once. I remember that dry sense of humor. I remember fly fishing. I remember Ray is a man of few words. I remember living with him, but not in this house. I don't remember much about this house. Mom? "I have a mother?" I ask him.

He gives me a blank stare as he leads me to the couch. I notice a limp. I suddenly remember his accident. He was fishing with Jose and his dad when they were hit by a drunk driver. He sits me down, then sits on the couch next to me. "You don't remember your mother, Annie?"

I wrap my arms around him again. He feels safe. He feels like home. I could stay here forever. He's my first piece of home, and I latch onto him for dear life. "I don't remember anything, Dad. Just little bits and pieces, until I remembered you. You taught me to shoot a gun and how to defend myself and how to fish. I remember that. Thanks for that by the way. It came in handy a few days ago."

"Oh Annie. Did something happen? Christian said you were about to remember everything."

"I wish I was. It's so frustrating. I feel like it's right there, but I can't quite put my finger on it. And I want to remember so badly, Dad."

"It'll come, Annie. Where is Christian?" he asks.

"He's still in Mexico, I think. I ran away. I couldn't face him. I remembered too much about him."

"Too much?" Ray asks in total protective father mode. I remember that tone from my teenage years, whenever I'd come home late from a friend's house. "Like what?"

I have to explain quickly. "I remembered that he didn't want this baby. The night I told him, he got mad and left, and went out with another woman, drinking, then came home yelling at me. I don't want to be with him any more. I'll raise this baby on my own."

"Baby?" Ray asks. He's in shock. He's a man of few words, but his face is speaking volumes right now.

"Oh, you didn't know?" I ask, then smile. "I'm pregnant. You're going to be a grandpa, Dad." I try to feign excitement. I wish that I was excited. I'm so confused and unsure of myself. How am I ever going to be able to afford to raise a baby on my own? I don't even know what I'm capable of doing to make money.

"Annie, that's great news. I really should call Christian and let him know that you're safe." Ray says.

"No, Dad. I don't want him to know where I am. I just need a few days alone, to figure everything out. I thought you could help me out. Please." I beg, as tears start to flow again.

"Sure, Annie. I can wait a few days. I can call him and tell him that you called me, but didn't tell me where you were. Can I do that? He's going to be worried sick. He was so distraught when you went missing the first time. He didn't know if you were dead or alive. None of us did. We were so happy to hear that you were alive."

"Then you heard that I didn't remember anything?" I ask him.

"That was upsetting."

I almost laugh. Ray says everything so matter-of-factly, no matter what it is. It's amazing the things that I'm remembering since I walked in the door. I finally feel like I'm on the road to recovery. "Thanks, Dad!" I tell him.

"Can I get you anything, Annie?" he asks me.

"No, I'm good. Can I stay in the extra bedroom? I'm kind of sleepy. I drove almost straight through, just sleeping in the car. It wasn't exactly comfortable."

"Sure, Annie." Ray steps up. "I would ask if you remember where it is, but…"

"I actually remember, Dad. Thanks." I tell him. I do remember. Maybe this is exactly what I need, being around Ray. I wonder if I should make a trip to see my mother, wherever she lives, and whoever she is. Why did I remember my dad before I remembered my mother? I wonder if that says something. Did I have a bad relationship with my mother? I try not to think about it, as I strip down and put on one of my dad's T-shirts. I'll have to find a way to buy a few things tomorrow. I had some cash in my purse when I left, but it's running low now. I will have to spend my money wisely. I don't remember Ray having a lot of money. I couldn't impose on him.

I wake up slowly. It's the first time I've actually slept without so many nightmares. I feel strangely fresh when I step out of bed. I wonder what time it is. I look out the window to see daylight. I hear voices in the living room. I know one of them belongs to Ray. The other one is definitely female. Does Dad have a girlfriend? I don't remember a woman in his life, of course I don't remember a hell of a lot nowadays. She's laughing, and talking. Ray is barely saying a word. That's my dad, taciturn. I giggle out loud. I don't know why. I pull on my jeans and walk into the living room.

Immediately upon entering the room, a gorgeous girl about my age with strawberry blonde hair, jumps up and rushes over to me. She squeals in excitement and throws her arms around me. "Ana! I'm so glad to see you." She says exuberantly.

I'm in shock. She obviously knows me, but from where. I let her hug me, but I don't return the hug. I know my father would protect me if this person were someone that would harm me in any way. The blonde is jumping up and down, celebrating my return. Her excitement is contagious. "It's nice to see you, too." I say hesitantly. I'm hoping she'll give me a hint as to who she is. I pull away from the hug finally.

She looks me up and down, then looks at my face again. "You don't remember me. Do you?" she's visibly upset, and her feelings are hurt. We must have been close.

I shake my head slowly and deliberately, never taking my eyes off of her. She's very attractive, well poised, and well dressed. "I'm sorry. Are you my dad's girlfriend? Were we close?"

She laughs, as Ray almost chokes. I must have guessed wrong on a monumental level. I look at her again. Nothing is coming to me. Darn it!

"I'm your best friend, Kate. I'm dating Christian's brother, Elliot. We're about to get married." She says slowly as she holds up her engagement ring for me to see.

Wow! That's a ring. "That's beautiful." I compliment her.

"You can't possibly have forgotten me." She gives me a pout, then pulls me to the couch. "Ray tells me that you're pregnant. Now, just when were you going to share that news with me?"

"I forgot." I say, then laugh at the irony.

Kate laughs at me, then she laughs with me. She grabs for my hand, and pulls me to the couch. We sit and she starts telling me about our history together. Best friends? Kate doesn't stop talking until she has me convinced that she was my best friend and has been since freshman year. We've shared an apartment and clothes. And, soon we'll be sharing our last names, which was…?

Kate picks up on my questioning look. She must be very intelligent, aside from being gorgeous. "Grey." She answers my unspoken question.

"Grey." I repeat. It sounds good. "Anastasia Steele Grey."

Kate laughs. "You didn't keep your maiden name. No hyphen. Christian wouldn't stand for it. You two had a tiff over that one."

"It sounds like you thought he was too controlling." I say to her, hoping to get her take on him.

She almost spits out her water. "He's a control freak. And he has issues."

"Issues?" Ray asks, chiming in on the conversation. I'd forgotten that he was with us.

"Let's just say he's controlling. He had a rough childhood before he became a Grey."

"Oh." Ray nods his head, obviously placated with Kate's answers.

"The burns on his chest from his mother's pimp." I say.

Kate's mouth falls open. "I didn't know about that. Elliot hasn't said a word. He only said that they didn't touch him, because of trauma he'd received in his own home before his mother died."

"His mother is dead?" I ask. Damn, I'm learning a lot from Kate. She's a wealth of information. And I'm becoming more comfortable with her, the longer she sits here. I can easily see why we were friends.

Kate nods her head. She knows she's giving me bad news, and it pains her. "Is there anything I can do to help you regain your memory, Ana?" she asks, pulling my hand into hers again.

I shrug my shoulders. "Pictures, maybe." I suggest.

"Good idea, Ana. You always were smart." Kate smiles, then pulls a wallet out of her purse.

"I'll get some old pictures of your mother, too." Ray says, then limps to the back bedroom.

"This is Elliot." Kate beams with pride as I look at the picture.

No memories whatsoever. "He's quite the looker." I compliment her choice in men.

She laughs. "Of course, you snagged Seattle's most eligible bachelor." She snaps.

"I did?" I ask her.

"Yes." She drags out the word, as if I'm a slow learner. "Christian Grey, gorgeous gazillionaire, in all the tabloids, philanthropist to the world."

"Wow!" I say. "Why did he choose me? He's so out of my league."

"Oh, Ana. How many times do I have to tell you? You're a total babe." She preaches to me.

I roll my eyes at her. She rolls her eyes back at me.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. It's true. Guys have fallen all over you all through college, but you were too picky."

Something clicks in my brain. Roll your eyes. Christian used to chastise me constantly about rolling my eyes. I'm so happy that I remembered something else. I'm so happy inside that I'm about to jump up and dance. He was adamant about eye rolling for some reason.

"Why are you so happy?" Kate asks me.

"I remembered something." I tell her with excitement. "I remember Christian used to say that to me."

"Nothing about me?" Kate's feelings are taking a beating tonight.

"I'm sorry." I tell her. "I'm really in love with him, aren't I?"

She nods her head with a smile. "You were. And you still are? I can see it on your face, Ana. You may not remember it all, but you're in love with him."

"I found some pictures." Ray says, then sits down beside me. "This is Carla, your mother."

I look at the picture. It's their wedding picture. I wonder why Ray has kept it all of these years. They were both young. Hmm. Ray looks familiar. My mom looks kind of familiar. I continue to stare at her picture, hoping some spark of recognition will strike me. Ray hands me another one. It's one of my mother and me. I was about thirteen years old maybe. We're wearing raincoats, soaking wet, in front of a tent on a lake somewhere. Ray must have taken the picture. Yes, he took the picture. I was laughing. My mom was giving me a "what the hell" look. She wasn't having fun. We'd had a cold, miserable night, then it started raining to make matters worse. My mother had a hissy fit on this camping trip. They filed for divorce shortly after this.

"I remember this." I yell out in excitement. "You call this our last happy picture."

Ray smiles. "That's right. Should we keep going?"

"Yes, more please." I tell him.

Ray hands Kate a big album. How many pictures does he have? Kate's eyes get big, as if echoing my feelings. I marvel at her uncanny ability to know what's on my mind. I giggle at her. "You asked for it." she warns me.

Ray starts at the beginning of the album. I remember some pictures, but some are still just pictures. I am so excited to be remembering my past. With each memory returned, I'm feeling more like myself. I'm feeling less lost. Kate is ecstatic, and joyful. When we make our way near the end of the album, I start to see pictures of Kate and me. Pictures that I sent to Ray to show him our new apartment near college.

"Your parents bought you this apartment, because it was near college." I instantly remember.

"Yes. Are you remembering me yet?" Kate asks with hope.

"Maybe. I remember moving into this apartment. Your brother, Ethan, helped us. He complained about our tiny boxes that we packed in."

"Yes!" Kate yells out in a congratulatory fashion. She gives me a hug. "Finally, you're remembering me!"

I laugh at her. "Who could forget you, Kate?" I tease her.

"What else do you remember?" she coaches me forward.

"Elliot!" I say. A funny memory has just popped into my head. "You met him the night I threw up, and drunk dialed Christian. You really liked him."

"Yes!" she exclaims. "Keep going, Ana."

"You're doing great, Annie." Ray pats me on the back.

"I interviewed Christian, for the school paper." I concentrate really hard. "You didn't like him at first."

"I'm still not a huge fan." Kate admits. She's unsure of how I'm going to take the news.

"Why?" I ask her.

"He's too controlling, Ana. You're always having to stand up for yourself with him."

"You always take up for me when he's around." I giggle. "Oh Kate, I love him just the way he is."

"Then why aren't you with him?" she asks me.

"I don't know." I answer her. "I should be with him. I remember loving him more than anything in the world."

Kate smiles.

"I'm going home." I announce, and stand up. I hug Kate and Ray. "Thanks so much, you two. You've helped me so much."

Kate stands to hug me. "Call me, and keep in touch. I've hated being without my best friend all this time."

Ray hugs me. "Love you, Annie."

"I love you too, Dad." I tell him. I walk to the door, then it hits me. I turn around toward Kate and Ray. "Can you tell me exactly where I live?"

Kate and Ray laugh at me.

"I'll take you, Ana." She concedes.

That's it for this chapter. Reunion in the next chapter, I promise. Thanks to everyone who reads my fanfic, and a BIG THANK YOU to those of you that take the time to review for me. I enjoy reading the reviews.

Take a peek at my other books, too. If you like erotic romance with a feel good ending, then my book, General Rule, is a good one, if I say so myself. Trying to be funny here. Written by Autumn Brown (my pen name) if this link doesn't work.

s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Autumn%20Brown&search-alias=digital-text

Thanks everyone!

I've also started a Facebook page. It's kind of sad right now, since I just started it yesterday. I'm open to suggestions and would love for anyone to come over and LIKE my page.

pages/Autumn-Brown/341840409237255


	9. Chapter 9

Christian's POV.

I promote Sawyer to the man in charge of the manhunt for Ana. He's the next logical choice with Taylor out of commission. Sawyer and I walk in and out of coffee shops along the main street. We're not having any luck. No one has seen her, or seen the car that she was driving when I last saw her. We've already searched the bookstores, and every other clothing store we can find. I've got several men on the case, but I like to team up with Sawyer, since he's "command central".

My phone rings. It's the doctor who is taking care of Taylor. "Grey here." I answer. I'm not in the mood to chit-chat. Not that I ever am, but today is especially not a good day to expect small talk.

"Mr. Grey. I'm afraid I have some bad news." Dr. Wilson starts.

What the hell? "Excuse me?" I ask. Taylor was fine when I left him. What's he trying to say? I wish he'd get to the point.

"Jason Taylor has taken a turn for the worse. After you left, he complained of a severe headache and vision impairment. I called an ambulance and had him transported to the Star Medica hospital."

"Is he going to be OK?" I ask. My first thought is to call my mother and fly her in, for a second opinion. I don't know Dr. Wilson's track record. I thought I could trust his judgment, but now I'm not so sure. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

I end the call. Should I call Gail? I'm sure she would want to be here if there are problems. I need to check for myself though, first. I never accept second hand information. "Sawyer, we need to head to the Star Medica hospital. Taylor is being admitted now."

"Yes, sir." Luke says, then immediately punches in an address into the GPS. He makes a quick u-turn in the middle of the street, almost throwing me against the side window. He's overly eager to impress me, or he's in a hurry to check on Taylor. I'm not sure which.

When we arrive at the hospital, I immediately track down Taylor's room. The hospital personnel isn't nearly as accommodating here as in Seattle. My name doesn't carry the same weight here. It irks me, and hurts my ego a little. When I walk into Taylor's room, I find the doctor by his side checking his vitals. Taylor is unconscious again.

"What the hell happened?" I demand of the doctor. Again, I make no small talk.

Sawyer is right behind me. The doctor turns toward me. "Mr. Grey. My guess is that the contusion to his head caused some cerebral edema. I'm trying to schedule a CT scan, but the nurses can't get through to his insurance company to verify that it's covered. We need preauthorization to perform these high dollar procedures."

"Fuck the insurance, Dr. Wilson. Get him in there now! I'll pay in cash if necessary." I order. I know Dr. Wilson is not an employee of mine, but I don't take this shit from anyone. When I ask someone to perform a task, it's done immediately without questions.

"Yes, sir." Dr. Wilson says, then begins pushing Taylor's bed into the hallway.

Sawyer and I move out of the way, then follow them down a hallway. I get a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't want anything to happen to Taylor. I would feel so guilty since I'm the person ultimately responsible for this fiasco.

An hour later, Dr. Wilson has the results of the CT scan. "I was right. Cerebral edema. But the good news is that there is no brain hemorrhages."

"What can we do?" I ask the doctor.

"I'll keep an eye on him and monitor the swelling, after I put him on oxygen, and get an IV set up so we can infuse some fluids and inject the necessary medicine ." The doctor wheels Taylor back to his room. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to perform a decompressive craniectomy."

Sawyer's eyes open wide in panic. "Remove part of his skull to relieve some of the pressure." I tell Sawyer, trying to calm him down. I know he and Taylor were close and I know he's worried about Taylor. I'm so glad that I grew up in the presence of Grace. She often discussed medical procedures at the house. It was common dinner table conversation.

"Do you want me to call Gail?" Sawyer asks me.

I shake my head. "I should probably be the one to do it, Sawyer."

We stay in the room as the doctor sets Taylor up with an IV, and an oxygen mask. I call the pilot and instruct him to wait at the airport for Gail. The pilot and the jet are in Seattle returning Jack anyway. I have my dad taking care of that matter personally. I can't let it be screwed up again. If I wasn't searching desperately for Ana, I'd be there myself.

I make the call that I least want to make. I dial Gail and give her the news. She's despondent at first, but I continue with the news. I tell her that the jet is waiting for her, and that we will be here with Jason until he's out of the woods. Gail starts crying over the phone, and I'm not quite sure how to handle it. I don't do emotions well. I resort to instructing her to pack a bag and get security to drive her to the airport. Taking control is what I do. I'm good at that.

"Thanks, Mr. Grey." She sobs out the words.

"I'll be here by his side until you get here, Gail." I assure her. "I'll make sure everything is taken care of."

We hang up. Sawyer is looking at me, awaiting instructions. "Can you call the team and check to see if there's any news on Ana?" I ask him. I know there's no news. I know my team would call me immediately if there was even a shred of her existence anywhere. That reminds me. I need to call Ray. He wanted to fly out last week to see Ana. Another thing I feel guilty about. I talked him out of coming. I even had his doctor call him and tell him that it wasn't a good idea to make a trip in his condition. He still had a few problems with his leg after his car accident. I dial his number.

"Ray?"

"Christian? What is it? Has she remembered anything?" Ray asks. He's hoping for good news.

I not only don't have good news. I have bad news. "Ray, I'm sorry, but she's run away. We can't find her."

"Run away? She's not twelve, Christian. She's a grown woman. Why would she leave?"

"Jack attacked us. She was confronted with the news that Jack was not her husband. I think she was scared and in shock. She's still not sure who she is. She was distraught." I explain.

"Christian! Nothing had better happen to my daughter. Do you have any idea where she is? I mean, hell you had an army looking for her last time."

"I still have several people looking for her. We're pretty sure she's still here, somewhere. We just haven't been able to locate her. You know how resourceful she can be. Thanks to you. It's not the first time she's outsmarted my security team." I tell him.

Sawyer gives me an apologetic look. Shit. I hadn't meant to open that old wound. I'm sure Sawyer is still wondering why I didn't fire him. Taylor stood up for him, asking me not to let him go. I feel badly that I mentioned it now.

"Keep me posted. Would you?" Ray asks.

"Sure thing, Ray. And if she calls you, please find out where she is and let me know."

"You've got it." Ray answers. I'm not sure he means it though. I know his loyalty would lie with Ana if she asked him not to let me in on her whereabouts.

I sit by Taylor's bed for hours. Sawyer has left the room twice. Once was to retrieve me something to eat. I'm worried about Ana, and I'm worried about Taylor. This has not been a good day for me. It's late at night, when Gail arrives. Sawyer has taken care of her transportation from the airport. When she walks into the room, she immediately slams into me, sobbing uncontrollably.

"He's stable, Gail. There's been no change, good or bad for the last seven hours. At least he's not getting worse."

Gail continues to sob in my arms, saying nothing. I've never touched Gail in my life, and the feeling is alien to me. I'm not at all comfortable with her in my arms, but I can't push her away.

"He's going to be OK. I just know it, Gail." I say to her.

Sawyer walks over beside her, and she turns to him as if just noticing that he was in the room. She releases me and grabs Sawyer. She sobs even harder.

"I'm so sorry, Gail." Sawyer says. "If only I would have stayed with him at the coffee shop, instead of going off on my own."

Guilt is pouring out of Sawyer. I know he feels badly about this downward spiral in events. "There was nothing you could have done, Sawyer. Jack is just too smart. He would have found a way to drug him even if it wasn't in the coffee."

"Coffee?" Gail asks me, for the first time actually forming a word.

"Jack slipped him some sleeping pills, then assaulted him. That's how he received the head injury."

"Oh my." Mrs. Jones cries. She walks over to Taylor. She immediately grabs his hand to hold it tightly with so much love. "Oh, Jason, come back to me. Please."

Sawyer walks over beside her for moral support. He places his arm around her shoulders. "He's taking his sweet time, but he'll come back. You know Taylor, stubborn as ever."

I suddenly feel like an outsider. Gail and Jason have been on my staff for years. I've always felt like they were family, but I feel like I shouldn't be here. I feel like I'm intruding. "I'm going to step out for something to drink. Can I get anyone anything?" I ask.

Gail looks up. She shakes her head. She's too torn up to speak. I silently leave. I check my office messages to make sure everything is satisfactory without me there. Ros is, of course, running things like clockwork without me. I don't know what I would have done without her this time. I call my dad to see how the situation with Jack has shaped up. I wake him up, but he's eager to talk. He assures me that Jack won't be getting out on bail this time. Thank goodness for that one. I ask to talk to Mom so I can get a second opinion on Taylor's condition. I know she can't do much from where she is, but she offers to look at his CT scan results if I can email them to her. I find Dr. Wilson and do just that.

Minutes later, Mom calls back and assures me that Dr. Wilson is doing everything he can, and his plan of action will be best if Taylor takes a turn for the worse again. I trust my mother implicitly. I am content with my decision to stick with Dr. Wilson now.

Gail ends up staying in the chair beside Taylor all night and into the next morning. Sawyer makes it to the guest hospitality room. He refuses to leave the hospital for a comfortable hotel room. I find a chair in the waiting room, simply to give Gail some privacy. I arrange for one of the guys to bring breakfast to Taylor's room. No one, including me, is in the mood to eat much.

It's almost noon when Taylor begins to stir. Gail is so excited that she nearly drops her drink. She is at his side in a flash. I stand where I am. Sawyer gets closer so he can get in on the excitement.

Taylor groans loudly, as he opens his eyes. "What the hell?" he asks, pulling off his oxygen mask.

I am so happy to hear him speaking. "I'll get the doctor." I announce, as I step out of the room.

When I return with Dr. Wilson, Gail and Taylor are laughing about something. Gail is almost crying, but still laughing. Taylor has her hand in his, kissing her knuckles. He's missed her. I've never seen him happier. I hope he can convince Gail to marry him soon. This guy has got it bad. It reminds me of myself with Ana. Dr. Wilson examines Taylor again, then announces that he's out of the woods.

"That's great news." I say.

Gail smiles. Taylor smiles at Gail.

"It's absolutely wonderful news." Gail corrects me. She hits Taylor in the stomach. "Now don't you ever scare me like that again."

"Ouch. I'm wounded here. Be gentle for a little while, woman." Taylor teases her.

I don't get to see this type of interaction too often. Again I feel like I'm intruding. And I'm longing to see Ana again. I look at the two other guys on my security team, Eddie and Thomas. "I'm going to take these guys and start searching again." I announce.

"Do you need my help?" Sawyer offers.

"You stay here." I order him. "You're command central. You can do that from here."

"Yes, sir." Sawyer says.

"Sorry I can't help today, sir. But maybe by tomorrow." Taylor says.

"You get well, Taylor." I order him. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir." He says, then smiles at Gail.

"Yes, get well, so I can take you home. I hear the coffee here will kill you." Gail teases him.

I have to laugh at their playfulness. It's so obvious that they're in love.

Another two days pass with no sign of Ana. Taylor is recovering quite nicely. It's turned into more of a vacation for him and Gail, even though they're spending it in the hospital. They're happy just to be together. The doctor has finally given his consent for Taylor to travel. I'm going to fly with him and help get everything set up at the apartment. I could have one of the guys take care of him, but I feel I owe Taylor that much after everything he's done for me. We will regroup and start our search for Ana again, there. I feel like we've been sent back to first base on that matter. I miss my wife so much that I ache inside.

Taylor gingerly walks up the stairs to the jet. Gail is in front of him. I'm behind him, just in case he falls. He's still a little wobbly and won't be running with me any time soon, but he's improved quite a bit in the last few days. He and Gail sit together on the couch. I take the smaller chair for a while. I'll retire to the bedroom later. Sawyer and the rest of the men take the media section and watch a movie during the flight. Gail and Jason are happy together.

"So, when are you going to get married?" I ask them. I know they've been discussing it for some time, but for some reason, Gail is hesitant to jump in with both feet.

A huge smile spreads across Gail's face, then Taylor joins in with a goofy grin. Instantly, I know there have been developments on that front. "In a few months." Gail beams as she says it.

"She finally realized she didn't want to be without me." Taylor teases her, as he pats her leg. "All it took was a near death experience. If I would have known that was all it took, I would have gotten hurt a long time ago."

Gail slaps him on his leg playfully. "Oh Jason. I was going to say yes when you came home anyway. I missed you too much."

"Well, congratulations, you two. You'll let me gift you with a honeymoon, right?" I ask them. "And the time off to take a proper one."

Gail acts excited, then looks to Jason for his answer. Taylor nods, accepting my offer. "Thank you, sir."

"It's the least I can do, after almost causing your death." I say, trying to be playful. My guilt is making my voice harsher than usual. Maybe it's my grief.

"We'll find her, sir." Taylor says.

I nod. I know we will. I'm not giving up. I'm determined to find her before the baby is born. "Well, I'll leave you two alone, unless you want to take the bed, Taylor." I stand up.

"We're fine right here." Taylor says.

Gail smiles up at me. "Thanks for the honeymoon, Mr. Grey."

"My pleasure." I say to her.

Hours later, the plane is landing in Seattle. Our SUV is waiting for us on the tarmac. I help Taylor down the stairs, and Sawyer is ready with an open door to the SUV. We help him inside, then Sawyer drives us toward the apartment.

On the way over, my phone rings. It's Kate. What the hell? My heart leaps in anticipation. Maybe she's heard from Ana. I can't push the accept button fast enough. "Kate?"

"Christian." She says icily. I notice that she's not quite as cool toward me as usual for some reason. "Are you still in Juarrez?"

"No. I've had to come back to Seattle. My head of security has been hurt in an attempt to save Ana. She's run away again."

"I know. She's in Seattle." She says.

Did I hear that right? "Seattle? What? How? When? Where? How is she?" I fire the questions off in rapid succession. I am beyond excited.

"Slow down, Christian. She's fine. Still confused. But she's waiting for you at Escala. I just left her there. I tried to stay with her there, but she wanted to be alone."

"Oh thank God. Thank you, Kate." I yell to her in excitement as my heart almost leaps out of my chest. The good news is almost too much for me to handle. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"She's my best friend, Christian." She tells me as if saying there was no other option. It's her duty to take care of Ana, and she takes it seriously.

"I know. Thanks for bringing her back."

"She brought herself back. She's still in love with you. Congrats on the baby, by the way."

"Thanks, Kate." I was so excited, and overjoyed that I'm even being nice to Kate. She's never been my biggest fan. I can't believe this turn of events. I don't deserve this happy ending, but I'm so glad that I'm getting it anyway. I hang up with Kate. "Step on it, Sawyer. Ana's home."

Everyone lets out a cheerful and congratulatory yell. I'm grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. The second the SUV stops in front of the elevator, I leap out of the car to help with Taylor. I'm nervous and I'm anxious. Kate said she was still confused. I'm not sure what to expect.

"We've got this, sir." Sawyer says. "Go on ahead."

Thank goodness they can handle this on their own. I'm about to burst into flames in anticipation of seeing Ana again. I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When I open the apartment door, I expect to see her sitting on the couch in the living room. I don't. "Ana!" I call out to her.

No answer. Damn, don't tell me she's left again. I'm not sure my heart can take it. I want to see her. I want to touch her. I check the bedroom. I not only don't see her, I don't see any evidence of her being here. Why would Kate lie to me like this? It's beyond cruel. I run down the hallway to the other bedroom. I check the media room. I check everywhere, running through the apartment yelling out her name. Hell, if she was here, she'd hear me, unless she was in the only soundproofed room in the apartment. I run to the playroom. I turn the knob. It's unlocked. I jerk the door open.

"Ana!" I yell to her, startling her. I can't contain my unquenchable zest for her. She's so beautiful standing there. I run toward her as she stands frozen in front of the toy drawers. She is holding a vibrator up, examining it. She drops it back into the drawer and smiles at me embarrassed that she's been caught in an inappropriate moment. She blushes. Oh, how I've missed that.

"It took you long enough." She says, teasing me.

I love playful Ana. She looks like a child when she's playful. I wrap her in my arms and hug her like there's no tomorrow. "Oh, Ana. I've missed you so much, baby." I pull back and kiss her. She returns the kiss with a powerful need. I feel so connected to her right now. I can feel our bodies molding together. All I can think is that my Ana is home. We're going to be a family now. I'm complete now.

"I love you, Christian Grey." She whispers to me.

"I love you so much, Anastasia Grey." I say to her. I'll never tire of saying her name. I cherish the day she married me. I cherish her, my wife.

"I remember parts of this room. Does that say something about me?" she asks, laughing at herself.

"It says that I'm rubbing off on you." I tease her. "That underneath it all, you're just as kinky as I am."

She pats me on the face. "I like the sound of that, Mr. Grey."

My heart is about to explode from the love I feel for this woman. I want nothing more than I have right now. Except maybe to take her back to our bedroom and make mad passionate love to her and bring all of her memories back.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I get so excited when I read reviews on here. I appreciate you taking the time to review me (and follow me and favorite me), especially since most of the readers here, are also fellow writers, and fellow Fifty Shades fans. By the way, has anyone checked out that Fifty Shades magazine yet? It looked pretty darn good.

Next chapter is going to be spicy. Well, as spicy as it can be on fan fic. I'd hate for them to take my story down now. I might have to figure out a way to put the spicy parts on my website, so you can still read them.

Check out my books on Amazon if you like my writing here. I have two spicy books there. General Rule and Spencer's Face. I write under the pen name of Autumn Brown if you're interested.


	10. Chapter 10

Readers and fellow writers,

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I've been so busy with my own books on Amazon (as Autumn Brown if you're interested in any of my published books). I promise to try harder here in the future. I love writing this fan fiction. Please review and let me know if you like this story. You gals and guys make my day when I read a good review, and I really need that right about now. If you've bought any of my books from Amazon, please review there as well. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Thanks so much for reading this story. I hope this chapter isn't too spicy, but hey it is Fifty Shades.

Ana's POV.

How lucky can a girl get? This is beyond luck. This is 'winning the lottery' luck. I'm married to Christian Grey, a super-hot billionaire who loves me beyond measure. Damn, he's hot. The chemistry between us is spine tingling. I'm randomly remembering little bits and pieces of our life together. I still have a lot more to piece together before I become whole again. I wonder if I'll ever be completely whole. I can't believe I was such an idiot. I actually believed that Jack was my husband. I still don't remember much about the day that he kidnapped me, or about him. But now that I'm home with my amazing husband, I can take my time remembering. Who knows, it might be fun discovering my husband all over again.

"Taylor!" I gasp out the greeting in excitement as Christian and I exit the sex room. What is he doing here?

Taylor is being held up by another guy, and a very attractive woman. He seems to be having some trouble walking, as if he's injured. "Mrs. Grey." He says, in a very matter of fact tone, very unlike our meetings in Mexico. I wonder where the aloofness is coming from.

"Are you OK?" I ask him. The last time I saw him he was helping me escape from Jack. I just ran off and deserted him. I was so upset and so confused.

"I'll be fine." He says. I can tell he's one of those men who never acknowledge pain in public. He'd rather die than look weak.

"Thank you for what you did back in Juarez, Taylor." I pat him on the shoulder.

I notice a glance from the woman next to him. It's obvious that they're together. I smile at her.

"Do you need anything, Mrs. Grey?" she asks me sweetly.

Need anything? I look to Christian, who is still holding tightly to my waist. He answers for me. "No, we can manage, Gail. Take care of Taylor."

Hmm. He's dismissing her. She must work for him, too. I wonder if I knew her before my accident. I watch as the three of them continue their walk down the hall. I look up at Christian. "I should have known their names. Shouldn't I?" I feel beyond rude for not remembering people. Kate was so hurt that I didn't remember her.

"It's OK, Ana. No one expects a miracle here." He pulls me closer, and swooshes me down the hall a little faster. He's anxious to get to the bedroom. I told him that I didn't want my first time to be in the sex room. We'd save that for later. I suddenly feel like a virgin as he opens his bedroom door. I'm more than a little nervous. It's obvious, even to me, that I'm not a virgin, but the feeling is overwhelming. Christian walks toward the bed, pulling me with him. "Do you want to take a bath first?"

I smile uneasily at him, then I nod. Maybe that will help relax this nervousness.

"Wait right here." He says, then makes his way quickly to the next room, which I assume is a bathroom. I hear the water faucet turn on.

I look around the bedroom hoping to see anything that sparks a memory for me. I see our wedding picture on the wall. I see my picture next to the bed on one side, and Christian's picture next to the bed on other side. Cute! I sit down on the bed and try to achieve some level of comfort. Apparently comfort is eluding me. Why do I feel like such a virgin? Jack told me that I was on the opposite end of that spectrum. Jack! It hits me like a ton of bricks. The kidnapping bastard lied to me. I feel even more like an idiot. I feel like a virgin, because I was one. This is where I lost my virginity. Right here, on this bed, with Christian. I look at the bed. I remember. He was perfect. I look up just in time to see him walking back into the bedroom. I smile at him.

He flashes me a panty dropping smile. "What?" he asks innocently, almost boyishly.

"Were you a virgin too?" I ask him.

His face goes totally motionless, then his mouth drops open. "Ummm. No." he says slowly.

I smile at him. I cannot keep a straight face any longer, and I'm about to burst into a serious case of the giggles. "Gotcha!"

He smiles at me, relieved for some reason. He pulls me to a standing position, where he grabs me around my waist and pulls me close to him. "You are incorrigible, Mrs. Grey." His fingers stroke my hair, then he kisses me hard.

I wrap my arms around his neck for support. I'm about to lose all sense of balance. I love this man. I pull my mouth away from his. "You're not going to spank me. Are you?" I tease with him, trying to be funny.

His eyes light up like a Christmas tree with intense sexual desire. A sudden shudder of recognition flows through me. He likes that. He likes spanking me. I can tell by the hungry look in his eyes. All the dreams that I had, were about him. He was the man without a face beating me with some kind of a whip. I press both hands against his chest. I push him away. I'm confused again. So many conflicting feelings are rushing through my veins. I'm sexually excited, but I'm appalled at the same time.

His face floods with worry. "Ana?" he asks softly. He knows something is up.

"You hit me?" I ask him to verify my worst fears. I step away so there's an arm's length between us. I can't bear to touch him right now.

"Never without your permission." He answers quickly.

"My permission?" I ask him incredulously, my voice seemingly raising an octave. "I agreed to be beat with a whip?"

Surely he must be joking. Was he some kind of a sadist? Suddenly, a memory of a voice from my past rings out in my head. "I'm a sadist, Ana. I like to whip little brown-haired girls like you because you all look like the crack whore— my birth mother. I'm sure you can guess why." James, E L (2011-09-13). Fifty Shades Darker: Book Two of the Fifty Shades

"You're a sadist." I whisper, my voice choked. I feel numb inside. Oh my god. He's a sadist. He likes to whip me because I look like his mother. The reality sinks in. I sink into the bed behind me. I can no longer stand. My knees are weak. I look up at Christian who is beside himself. He's crushed, and utterly ashamed of himself. He looks as if he's lost all hope. I simply gaze at him, waiting on him to make the next move. There is silence between us for what seems like an eternity.

"I'm going to take a bath." He says softly. "Can we continue this conversation later?"

I nod unable to give him anything further.

He turns and walks toward the bathroom. Right before he walks through the doorway, he turns around abruptly. "You won't leave again. Will you? Not without telling me at least." He asks. His words cut me to the core. I can feel his pain and it sickens me to know that it's because of me.

I shake my head. "I won't leave." I say softly.

He steps inside the bathroom, and I hear the water shut off. I am alone with my thoughts, my feelings, or lack thereof. I'm still void of feelings, completely empty inside. So many thoughts run through my head, then I hear another voice inside my head. "What did you think he did in the sex room?" she asks me.

I'm shocked at first that I'm hearing voices. Am I delusional? Is this normal? Then it dawns on me. It's normal for me. It's how I've coped all these years. I listen to my inner voice. Then the voice tells me, "He's fucked up, but you love him. Desperately."

I smile. She's right. My inner voice is so right. I do love him. I love him with all my heart. Even thinking about leaving him tears at my soul. I contemplate my dilemma for a minute, then I make my decision. I strip my clothes off completely, and walk into the bathroom. Christian's body is under the bubbles with his head pressed back against the tub. His face is filled with angst, and his eyes are closed tightly.

"Christian?" I almost whisper so I don't startle him.

My bright idea doesn't work. He jerks his head up, and his eyes flash open, clearly startled. "Ana?" he asks, gazing directly into my eyes. Then his eyes drop to see that I'm completely naked standing before him. A smile slowly curves his lips. He holds his hand out for me, inviting me into the tub with him.

I take his hand, and step in the water carefully. I straddle him as I sit on his lap facing him. I am so drawn to him. My body seems to be reacting on its own, as if this is where it belongs. I place both hands on his shoulders, and begin caressing him. I'm all nerve endings with every touch igniting a fire in my stomach. I need to touch him. It's a need greater than any I've ever known. He draws in a slow breath as if I'm hurting him. Then another memory flashes in my mind. He doesn't like to be touched. It's because of the cigarette burn scars on his chest and back. The dots are connecting for me now. It's taken me long enough. I run my hands down his arms feeling his hard muscles, trying to ease his fears. I can feel him loosen up under my touch. He releases a breath slowly, as he runs his hands down my sides slowly, sensually. It's obvious that he's done this a few times before.

I belong with this man. I don't actually remember this, but my body knows it intuitively. We're so in tune with each other. I stare into his intense gray eyes, feeling his love for me. He massages my backside with his hands. It feels so good. Oh my. I can feel his erection underneath me. The skin on skin contact is causing me to melt. My desire for him is constant as he runs his hands up and down my thighs. His thumbs rest at the apex of my thighs, but he doesn't go inside. It's as if he's savoring the moment. I gasp at the sudden feeling of need that I have for this man.

"Oh, Ana. You're always ready for me." He whispers to me. There is a reverence in his voice, and a feeling of déjà vu, a delicious feeling of belonging to this man.

"You've said that to me before." I whisper back to him.

He opens his mouth, and attacks mine, as if he's unable to hold himself back any longer. I open my mouth to allow his entrance. Our tongues are dancing seductively against each other. I can barely catch my breath. I feel his hand wrap around the hair at the nape of my neck, making a ponytail almost. He pulls my hair, tilting my head back so that my throat is exposed to him. I feel so open to him. He nibbles on my neck. "You. Are. Mine. Anastasia." He says, enunciating each word with veneration. Oh, what those words do to me. I melt even further. My hands grope for his erection blindly. I latch on with both hands. I gasp at his size. Oh my. My heart lurches in my chest. How could I have forgotten this? He's so hard, and he wants me. Christian Grey wants me. I have trouble fathoming the reality still.

"Yes. Yours." I exhale the words, barely audible to even myself. "I love you, Christian Grey."

He continues his downward path with his lips, causing my entire body to stiffen. How does anyone relax during a moment like this? I feel his lips lock onto one nipple, as his fingers twist the other nipple, elongating it, and further increasing my desire for him. How much more can I take? I draw in an unsteady breath. Air is becoming harder to find, a rare commodity.

"Breathe, Anastasia." He instructs me as he gently bites on the nipple in his mouth.

Tiny shocks reverberate throughout my entire body. I pull air into my lungs at his beckoning. I stroke him, feeling every inch of him, admiring what I've done to this beautiful man. He flicks my nipple with his tongue, and I feel my body tighten even further. I groan, feeling the sweetness all the way to my groin. I can feel the wetness increasing. Holy hell, this feels so good, so all consuming. I toss my head back in ecstasy. I know that I won't be able to take much more of this delectable assault.

"Let go, baby. I want you to feel this. Remember this feeling." He says, his voice gruff with wanton desire.

And, as if on command, my body convulses and I let go. I shatter into a thousand pieces. He bites my nipple, harder this time, causing the overwhelming sensation to deepen and to intensify. His expert tongue then sucks first one, then the other nipple, while my orgasm declines relieving me slowly.

I look at him. His beautiful face is filled with smug satisfaction as if saying, "I told you so."

I plant a chaste kiss on his lips. "That was awesome, Mr. Grey."

He smiles a boyish grin. "Oh, we're back to formalities. Are we, Mrs. Grey?"

I continue groping his still hard as nails erection lazily, tantalizingly. Feeling more at ease, I brave a look down at him. Oh my. His smile immediately turns to one of pride. I look up at him through my eyelashes coyly. "There's something I've wanted to do to you since the first day you stood up behind your desk at Dr. Flynn's office." I whisper to him, trying desperately to sustain my nerve.

"I'm yours, Ana. Do with me what you will." He says, locking his hands behind his neck giving me full access to his body.

"I like the sound of that, Mr. Grey." I push myself back further, putting some distance between us. I bend over and kiss his stomach gently. I can feel him stiffen at my touch. I wonder how he has sex if he doesn't like to be touched. I lighten up my kisses and I kiss a trail down toward his erection slowly, probably torturing myself more than him. I hear a groan escape his lips just as I touch his erection with my lips. I know that I'm affecting him and I relish in that thought.

"Oh, Ana." He says with my name, almost like a prayer.

I bow my head further down, dunking my head under the water, as I take him into my mouth completely.

"Christ," he groans making me feel powerful beyond words.

I move down as I push him into my mouth further. I fuck him with my mouth, then pull my head up for air. I feel Christian release the drain plug. I go back down on him, twirling my tongue around the tip. I can feel him flexing his hips toward me, so he is further inside my mouth. He wants more. I push further down, and suck hard, taking him as deeply as I possibly can. I twirl my tongue around his tip again, and breathe. The water level is lowering so I don't have to release him. I open my mouth wider, and go all the way down on him. I hear him gasp and yell out my name. I had no idea that I could bring him so much pleasure. The power that I have just discovered is intoxicating.

"Ana, you're going to unman me." He begs. What is he asking for? More, or less? I'm not sure, but I don't want to stop. I love pleasuring him.

I rake my teeth along his length, causing him to come undone. I still myself as he finds his release. I swallow quickly, unsure if I'm completely onboard with this part or not. Was I in the past? I pull my mouth away from him, and look up at him. I climb back onto his lap and kiss him on the lips.

"That was amazing, Ana. I'm so glad you didn't forget how to do that." He chuckles.

"You are incorrigible, Mr. Grey." I say, laughing out the words. They sound familiar to me.

"You have no idea." He teases with me.

"Oh, I think I'm getting the general gist of things." I tease him, as I slide my finger along his lip seductively. Why does his lip look so delicious still?

"Mmm." He hums, as he pulls my finger into his mouth and sucks seductively. "I hope you don't think we're finished. We've only just begun this match, Mrs. Grey."

My heart jumps. What is he talking about? Don't men have to wait several minutes before going again? Another memory jolts into my consciousness. This man can play for hours. He's very skilled at sex. Oh, I feel like the luckiest girl alive at the moment.

The water has disappeared from the tub. My curiosity is peaked to the max. "Shall we go back to bed?" I ask him, knowing he has something in mind.

He nods eagerly with a boyish grin. "That's where I want to take you for our first time back together."

My sex is pounding in anticipation. I step up off of him and step out of the tub. He steps up and grabs two towels from the rack. They're monogrammed with our names. He dries me off, and then spanks my butt. It's not a hard spank, but I feel it. I look around at him. "You did not just spank me." I taunt him.

"Oh, yes I did, Anastasia. What are you going to do about it?" he says playfully and lets his towel drop the floor, showing me his impressive erection. Holy cow! How did he do that? He unlatches my towel and lets it fall to the floor. He picks me up in his arms, and carries me to the bedroom, where he gently lies me on the bed. He climbs over me and settles on the other side of my body. He rolls toward me and kisses me seductively on the neck.

My knees go weak in anticipation of what's coming next. I want more. My body is hypersensitive, thanks to the hot bath that has brought every one of my nerve endings to the surface. I crave his touch even more than before. I want his hands on me. I want his mouth on me. Judging by the look on his face, he knows that fact and he's taunting me with it. He places gentle seductive kisses down my neck toward my breasts. He runs his hot tongue between my breasts, barely touching me with it, but lighting my skin on fire. How does he do that? I'm on fire, and he's barely touching me. He continues his downward path until his tongue dips into my belly button. Oh my, that's hot. I draw in a quick breath. He swirls his tongue inside my belly button. Who knew that could feel so good? Well, he did obviously. I press my legs together, locking my ankles. I must not release, I chant to myself repeatedly. I want to hold off until he has thoroughly devoured me.

"Oh Christian, please." I beg him. I hear my voice, but it doesn't sound like my own. It sounds more like it belongs to a sex goddess. I'm floored for a second, taken off guard.

"Please what?" he asks me, taunting me, teasing me. He knows he has the upper hand here.

"I want you." I tell him, again my voice unknown to me. I sound more gruff, more needy than before. How much can a girl want a guy before she spontaneously bursts into flames? I'm about to find out.

"What part of me, Ana? I want to hear it." He says firmly, but in a whisper, then circles my belly button with his tongue again.

"All of you, Christian. I want it all." I cry to him.

I feel him push my legs apart with some effort. In all the sexual excitement and confusion, I'd forgotten that I had my ankles locked together for dear life. Christian chuckles as he stands to his knees and positions himself between my legs. "Which part first, Anastasia? My tongue, or this?" he grabs his erection with pride.

Oh my. I think it's even bigger now. I gaze at it. Do I dare tell him what I really want? Would he hesitate? I doubt it. A voice inside me screams out. "Tell him. Tell him now." I collect my nerve, and whisper, "Your tongue. Please, Christian. I want to feel your tongue against me."

He smiles smugly, obviously happy with my answer. He immediately complies by bending over and lying on his stomach, pressing his face right against my sex. I am hot beyond words, about to explode, as he rubs his tongue all around my clitoris. He's massaging me with his tongue, then he French kisses just the tip. My body quivers, but I fight the urge to completely succumb to it. I want this to last so much longer. I feel his fingers enter me and they are almost the end to my resolve. I involuntarily spread my legs even further to allow him deeper access. He lifts his head, as he looks in my face. He smiles. "Not yet, Ana." He commands me. "I have more in store for you, baby."

I drag in a ragged breath, steadying myself, hoping I can delay my orgasm for a few more minutes. I am on fire, lost in a sea of lust and desire for this man. He spreads his fingers inside me, and it feels so wonderful, so amazing. He bends his fingers, and touches me deeper inside, and caresses parts of me that I didn't even know existed, or didn't remember. I am simply a ball of sexual need, longing for his touch. He must have performed this magic on me before. I feel his tongue begin its dance on my clitoris, as his fingers strum inside me. He fingers are moving rhythmically inside me and driving me insane, building my desire to a new level.

"Come for me, baby." He says.

His words are my undoing once again. My body convulses and spasms in sweet relief, as my orgasm grasps me, squeezing my insides then releasing me. I scream out his name over and over as I once again ride the waves spiraling through my body. The force of my climax renders me useless. I collapse my legs, unable to hold them up any longer. I am completely satisfied and feel warm inside. He withdraws his fingers slowly, then thrusts his tongue inside to take their place. His tongue is relentless in its quest.

"Oh, Ana. I've missed this sweet taste." He says softly, then he stands to his knees and very slowly enters me. He starts to move, triggering more memories of mind blowing sex in this bed. He is hard and gentle at the same time. He begins to move faster, thrusting into me over and over until I am on fire again. Once again, I am on the edge about to fall. It scares me that this man can bring me to this point so many times. I whimper.

"One more time, Ana. I know you're close." He whispers harshly, causing me to explode around him. He thrusts inside one more time, then groans as he reaches his climax. He stills on top of me, his body rigid for a few seconds. He collapses on top of me. I know in this moment that I would die for this man, as he would for me. Tears fill my eyes. I am overwhelmed with the knowledge that this man is mine, and I am his.

"Are you okay?" he asks me as he withdraws himself and positions himself beside me. He presses his nose into my hair, and kisses me on the cheek.

I nod my head, unable to form this feeling into words. I feel complete, whole, like I belong here in this bed, with this man. I feel like I'm home. "I love you." I finally manage to say to him, with emotion pouring out of me.

I can feel his contented smile against my cheek. "I love you too, Anastasia."

He wraps his body around mine like a vine, and we fade off into a deep sleep. I feel nothing but exhaustion, and complete bliss.

That's it for this chapter. Please review and let me know how you like it. There will be more in a few weeks. I'll have to think of where I'd like to go next. Ana needs to regain her memory about Kate, and her job, and Jose, and Elena, sex in the play room, and then we have the baby in a few months. Hmm. Which way to go. Any ideas or anything special you'd like to see? I'm open to suggestions.


	11. Chapter 11

Ana's POV.

"So, today's the day?" I ask Christian as he runs his hand through my hair. I'm lying on his stomach naked, my new favorite position. Or I think it's my new favorite position. It might be my old favorite position. I've been back for a week, and I've remembered a few more pieces of my puzzling life. The best thing I've remembered is that Christian loves sex, and I love it too.

"I think I'm going to postpone it for one more day. I'm not comfortable leaving you alone yet." He says to me as he kisses me on the tip of my nose.

"Oh, Christian." I say, exasperated with him. "I'm a big girl. I can handle this. Besides, I have Mrs. Jones, and Buzzcut Sawyer hanging out with me all day."

Buzzcut Sawyer is my personal bodyguard. Christian keeps Taylor by his side when he goes out for a run, or goes to the gym to work with his trainer. I get Sawyer. I call him Buzzcut, but not to his face. I get the feeling that Buzzcut doesn't like me too much, and Christian refuses to tell me why, and I can't ask Sawyer. He's very reserved around me.

"That's true." Christian relinquishes. "I might go in and work half a day, then come home and check on you."

"That's the spirit." I cheer him on with a kiss to his lips. I love kissing him. I feel tingly all over when we are together. I love this feeling of being in love, and I love this man. I don't remember much, but I do remember that.

"So, do you have plans today?" Christian asks me.

"No plans. I thought I'd do whatever came naturally."

"We need to make you an appointment with Dr. Greene." Christian warns me. He's been warning me for the last week. I know I'm fine, but he wants me to get checked out, for the sake of the baby. I don't like going to the doctor for some reason. I can't exactly explain it. I know I need to go, but I'm not anxious to make that appointment.

"Okay. I'll do that today. That will give me something to do besides get into trouble."

He smiles up at me, then rolls me to my side. He kisses me tentatively. "Are you okay?" he asks me. He knows that I've been nauseous in the morning occasionally and wants to make sure that I'm not going to have to make a mad dash toward the bathroom.

I think about it for a second. After not feeling any queasiness come bubbling to the surface, I nod my head.

Christian attacks me with his lips, then steamrolls over on top of me. "We could stay in bed and do this all day." He suggests, wiggling his eyebrows in a comical way.

"You know I'd love that, but I really think you need to get back to your regular routine, so I can get back to mine. Right after I figure out what that routine is."

"It'll come in time. Dr. Flynn would like to start seeing you again as well. He'll be back from Mexico tomorrow. I'm sure he would see you then."

"Perfect." I say snidely.

Christian's eyes shoot wide open. "I thought you liked Dr. Flynn." He says. It's more of a question.

"I do. I just think he's a high priced charlatan." I tell him.

Christian gasps, then smiles really big.

"What?" I ask him. Why would he be happy about my snide comments?

"That's what you used to call him." Christian answers me, then kisses me again. "Your memory is coming back, Anastasia."

"Now that one was worth waiting for." I say in a faux excited tone. "Why can't I remember something worth remembering?"

Christian laughs at my joke. "It means there are more memories still coming. I want you to be whole again, Ana."

"Oh, I think I'm more than whole, Christian. I am one point five people at the moment." I say as I rub my stomach."

Christian smiles, then moves off of me. He moves down toward my stomach and kisses it. "I like you this way. There's more of you to love."

"Oh, Christian. Go to work." I tell him.

"Are you kicking me out, Mrs. Grey?" he asks, taunting me.

"Yes, I am. Go make some more money. I'm getting too used to living in the lap of luxury. I'd like to stay this way." I tease him.

Christian laughs at me, then makes his way to the bathroom to get ready for work. I'm sad to see him leave. I feel like I'm being left at school on my fist day of Kindergarten, although I don't actually remember my first day of Kindergarten. I have to do this on my own and find my own way. I have to see what life brings me. Maybe I'll go see Kate again. Maybe I'll go see my dad. Maybe not.

After Christian is off to work, I inform my security detail that I want to go shopping. Sawyer is a nice guy, who is built like a house. Short buzz cuts seem to be the uniform haircut of the security detail around the apartment.

"Where to, Mrs. Grey?" Buzzcut Sawyer asks me as I step into the back of a black SUV that is parked in the garage.

"Shopping please." I tell him.

"Yes, Mrs. Grey." He says in a soldier-like fashion. There it is again, that feeling of déjà vu, and that feeling of alienation.

"You can call me, Ana." I tell him from the backseat as he's getting situated in the driver's seat.

"I prefer to call you Mrs. Grey, if you don't mind." He says in a very matter of fact tone.

I can't let this go any longer. What is his problem? "Sawyer, have I done something to you?" I ask him.

Silence fills the air, and I immediately have an answer to my question. Yes, I've done something to him. It must have been my pre-bump-on-the-head days, because I've barely spoken to him since I've stepped foot inside the apartment. "Please tell me what I did." I almost beg him.

"I've been instructed not to, Mrs. Grey." He pulls the SUV out of the parking garage and onto the street.

"By Mr. Grey?" I ask him.

He nods. "He's instructed all of the staff not to mention your past to you. You must remember it on your own."

"Do you want me to remember it?" I ask him.

He nods.

I wonder why he wants me to remember it, if it pissed him off so badly that he's grunting at me instead of speaking. Maybe so I can apologize correctly and sufficiently. "Whatever I've done to you, I'm sorry." I say to him.

He doesn't say a word. He simply continues driving toward downtown. I decide to give up trying to win him over for the day. He pulls into another parking garage, and finds a parking slot.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

"We're at the Alderwood mall. It's where I always bring you to shop, Mrs. Grey."

I nod my head. Always? Hmm. That's interesting. Sawyer comes around and opens my door to let me out. It still feels foreign to me to be waited on constantly, but I'm getting used to it. I step out and head toward the mall. I love shopping. I remember that much. I walk around until it dawns on me that I'm about to need maternity clothes. I head to a cute little maternity clothing boutique. Sawyer is right on my tail. He doesn't let me out of his sight.

I buy several maternity outfits, then head to the candy store. I'm craving chocolate. I'm not sure if that's new, or just from the pregnancy. Either way, I buy lots of chocolate and have it wrapped. I head to the shoe store next. On my way, I get a text from Christian.

"Are you having fun spending our money?" The text asks.

How did he know I was shopping? Then it dawns on me. He has stalker tendencies. He probably has a GPS in my phone, or Sawyer has been filling him in on my every move. I'll have to deal with his stalker tendencies later. I can't blame him for being paranoid since I've been kidnapped once before. I hope he loosens up when we have this baby.

I answer his text. "Having lots of fun. I bought some maternity clothes to cover this huge stomach."

"I like your stomach." He texts back immediately.

"Get back to work. Just because you're the boss, does not mean that you can slack off."

"Have fun. I won't be able to meet you for lunch like I had planned. It's a busy day. I'm sorry."

"Love you still." I text him back.

"Love you too." He texts back.

I visit a few more stores, and take a break in the food court. Sawyer and I eat a nice little lunch. He barely speaks to me as he eats. I'm tired of trying to make small talk, or make up for a past mistake that I've forgotten.

"Sawyer, I think I'm going to go to a beauty salon. Do you know where I usually go?"

"No, Mrs. Grey. I can ask Taylor if you like." He suggests.

"That's okay. I'll find another place." I tell him. "Or maybe I'll ask tonight. I'm about ready to go home now."

"As you wish, Mrs. Grey." Sawyer says, then leads me out of the mall and to the SUV.

As we drive down the street, I notice a very chic looking salon. "Sawyer, let's stop here and see if they have time to trim my hair." I tell him.

"Yes, Ma'am." He says, then finds a parking slot right in front of the salon. He's around to open my door almost immediately and helps me out.

I walk in the front door. It's an amazing salon, very suave and sophisticated. It's all white and leather. It's immediately noticeable that it's for a discriminating clientele. This will definitely do. The receptionist is a young blonde in a crisp white uniform. She looks up at me from behind her huge white reception desk.

"Hello, Mrs. Grey." She says immediately, upon recognizing me.

She knows me? This is awkward. "Hello." I answer back.

"Did you have an appointment?" she asks me, as she searches her computer for something.

"No, I was just walking by, and was hoping I could make one, or possibly walk in for a trim." I tell her. I'm trying to fake it.

"You know we'll always make room for you here at Esclava. After all, you own half of it."

Half of it? That's news to me. Wow! This is cool. About that time, a very nice looking blonde lady peeks around the corner. She's clearly shocked to see me. Her entire look is completely composed, except for her mouth which is gaping open at the moment. Why?

"Anastasia?" she asks.

"Yes." I say. I don't know what to say next. She obviously knows me and I have no clue who she is. "I was hoping for a quick trim."

"A trim?" she asks, totally dumbfounded as if no one has ever asked for a trim in her salon before.

"Yes, please. Do you have time?" I ask her, trying to clear things up. I know I'm going to be winging it, but surely I can fake my way through a trim without a hairstylist guessing that I have no clue who I am, or what I'm doing. How hard can this be?

She nods her head, still giving me a blank stare. "Right this way." She points out my way to a shampoo bowl in the back.

Christian's POV.

I've been working my ass off since the moment I stepped through my office door. I've barely had time to text Ana, or even think about how her day is going. She's shopping with Sawyer. How much trouble can she get in doing that? I'm sure that Sawyer can handle any trouble that might come their way, especially now that Jack is in custody. My mind is filled with mergers and acquisitions, and everything Roz has done since I've been gone. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I feel like the new guy in my own company. It's an odd feeling. At least my office feels familiar.

I read over a thousand emails, and return over thirty phone calls that Roz asked me to handle after she brought me up to speed on everything. Thank God for Roz. She handled everything beautifully while I was gone. I'd have to give her a huge bonus for the way she took the reins in my absence.

Roz and I are in an important board meeting. It's extremely important since it's the first one I've attended since Ana went missing. We've bought several companies that we need to discuss. In the middle of discussing how we will divide and sell off one of those companies, Taylor bursts into the boardroom.

I immediately stop talking, as does everyone else. I think everyone has stopped breathing. Everyone knows who Taylor is, and they know when he enters the room, it's beyond important. My heart stops for a second as I look at him. He doesn't hesitate.

"We have a situation, sir." He says in a clipped tone.

I step up and walk out of the boardroom, "Take over for me, Roz." After we are outside the boardroom. "What's going on?" I ask Taylor.

"It's Ana. She's at Esclava." He tells me as he punches the elevator call button.

"She's where?" I ask him. "How did this happen? I thought she was with Sawyer."

"She is, sir. He didn't know."

We step on the elevator and it starts its descent. "How did he not know? It's his job to know these things."

"It's my fault, sir. I take full responsibility. I should have told him about that situation. I never thought in a million years that she'd go to her salon."

I run my hands through my hair, a nervous habit I've acquired over the years. What is Elena telling her? How bad will the news hurt her? What will she do? I haven't spoken to Elena since that night that Ana told me she was pregnant. We didn't part ways amicably. Elena can be vicious when she doesn't get what she wants. This fact compounds my worry. I pull out my phone and press the speed button to dial Ana. She doesn't answer, only further worrying me. "Let's get there as fast as we can, Taylor."

"Yes, sir." Taylor answers as we get in the car. Taylor steps on it and we arrive at the salon in record time.

We pull up right behind Ana's SUV. Sawyer is waiting next to the curb. "Sawyer, we'll talk later." I snap to him angrily. I am not a man who holds my temper inside.

Sawyer looks surprised and confused at my outburst, then looks to Taylor for answers.

"Go on in, sir. I'll update Sawyer. Call me if you need me." Taylor tells me.

I am almost inside before Taylor finishes his sentence. I am desperate to get to Ana in time to diffuse this situation. I open the door to see Greta smiling at me. I give her an intimidating look, letting her know that I am not in the mood for small talk. She snaps her mouth shut and doesn't even say hello. She doesn't question my right to be there. I walk past her and into the main section as quickly as I can without running. I frantically look up and down the bank of shampoo bowls and stylist chairs for Ana. I spot Elena at the end of the shampoo bowl aisle. She's shampooing someone. I look closer to see my worst nightmare come to life. She's shampooing Ana. What the fuck!

Yes, another cliffhanger. I'm trying to think up a really good scene here. I've got lots of ideas. Please review so I know how you're liking the story so far. I'll post again in a week or so.

Thanks for reading, and a special thanks for those of you who review. I appreciate the feedback and the ideas. I love writing fan fiction.

If you'd like to read some of my published books, they're on Amazon under the name of Autumn Brown. Meditation Weekend is a short book filled with sex for 99 cents. Let me know how you like my new covers too.


End file.
